By Helen Peterson

Enhancing the monitoring and treatment of diabetes in this district took a massive step forward last week with a five-day course focusing on Type 2 Diabetes.

Presented by Waikato Diabetes Service Clinical Nurse Specialist Susan Ryan, in collaboration with Gisborne Diabetes Service staff, the course focused on the knowledge and skills needed for effective management of diabetic patients within a primary health care environment.

The course was attended by 19 practice nurses, including two from the Bay of Plenty region.

Tairawhiti District Health’s Co-ordinator for Education and Professional Development Robyn Dymock was instrumental in bringing the course to Gisborne. In the past local nurses have travelled to Waikato to attend the course but due to work and family commitments this has often proved difficult and expensive.

There was great support from other local health professionals involved in diabetes education including Doctor Robin Briant, Tairawhiti District Health Diabetes Clinical Nurse Specialists Jo Tietjen and Ann Corack, and Sport Gisborne staff. They facilitated part of the course and their input was invaluable, say participants.

Robyn said the chance to attend the course locally proved so popular that registrations had to be closed to restrict numbers. Those nurses who missed out will be able to register for future courses and there are plans to provide ongoing diabetes updates next year with the support of Doctor Briant.

Regarded as a Midland Region leader in diabetes education Susan has been running the Education and Management of Type 2 Diabetes Course since 1996. Earlier in her nursing career she worked as a district nurse but discovered she had a passion for working with diabetic patients.

“I got involved in a diabetes research programme run by Doctor Peter Dunn, of Waikato, and in about 1991 we decided to encourage general practitioners to take on a lot of the diabetes education and management work.”

She helped develop a quality diabetes education and training programme and now runs six courses a year in Waikato. The course includes information on appropriate diet and exercise, diabetes medications, blood sugar level checks, assessing diabetic complications and the benefit of good foot care and regular eye examinations.

“Diabetes is the major cause of adult blindness in New Zealand but this can be prevented in many cases by regular eye examinations,” she said.

To help combat this problem there is a free retinal screening programme available which now travels up the East Coast and to the Waikohu district. The local service provided by Duncan Bush is funded by Tairawhiti District Health.

Government funding also pays for one free annual check-up per person with diabetes but sadly this is not often taken up.

“There are 50 to 60 percent of patients who do attend the checks but this also means there are 40 to 50 percent who do not,” says Susan.

Plans are afoot to maintain the diabetes management momentum with ongoing professional development training for practice nurses.

By Helen Peterson

Helen Macdonald of Serendipity Health Ltd was one of 19 nurses who attended the five day Education and Management of Type 2 Diabetes Course run by Waikato’s Susan Ryan.

She said as well as Susan, who was very inspiring, the course featured several local health professionals whose presentations were of a high calibre.

“While the information re-emphasised our prior learning it took our learning to higher levels.”

Helen is the sole practice nurse at Serendipity Health and says there are not enough diabetes resources within communities, so she was keen to attend the five-day course to help play a part in educating people about the disease.

She works with a high needs community and feels it’s her responsibility to help educate patients about diabetes. If she can open patients eyes to the benefits of leading healthy, active lifestyle and help them to make positive changes then it is a job well done.

Helen noted after the course that staff in a kaiawhina role would also have benefited from aspects of the course. This would be another way to reach more “at risk” people because there are some who just do not visit doctors.

Nurses who attended the course now have a mentor who will support them in their roles as key diabetes workers. Helen’s is Tairawhiti District Health’s Diabetes Clinical Nurse Specialist Ann Corack.

“I am delighted to have Ann as my mentor and I look forward to further extending my learning with her help.”

By Helen Peterson

Turanganui Primary Health Organisation’s population is steadily aging and may mean an increasing health burden in years to come, says PHO chief executive Keriana Brooking.

The latest Turanganui PHO Enrolled Population Trend Analysis figures reveal steady decreases in the population aged from 25 years through to 44 years and steady rises in the population aged from 44 years through to 84 years.

Six general practices within the PHO provide the patient figures every three months to Pinnacle’s Primary Health Intelligence Unit and biannually these are used to gauge population trends within the organisation.
 
“Many of the younger people are moving out of this area and due to our aging population this means an increasing health burden in the years to come,” says Keriana.

“In general terms this means younger family members are leaving so therefore older people have less assistance available to them from within family units. From a PHO perspective we need to have a long term view about how to deliver health services.”

Eventually the PHO will need more funding to help cover the cost of primary health care services, as the cost of providing age care services was greater than looking after a healthy population.

The annual Turanga Health Managers Christmas Breakfast traditionally cooked by Turanganui PHO staff was held under sunny skies this year at Keriana Brooking’s house. 

The breakfast is an annual opportunity for the PHO to thank Turanga Health managers for all the work they have contributed during the year.