Back to Annual Meeting

Back to Annual Meeting

APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Barbara Litke, MA, Vice President Rehabilitation and Education, The Jewish Guild for the Blind, 15 W. 65 Street, New York, NY 10023, 212-769-6212, blitke@jgb.org and Cathleen Wirts, MS, Senior Vice President, Administration and Planning, The Jewish Guild for the Blind, 15 W. 65 Street, New York, NY 10023.

The Diagnostic And Treatment Center of The Jewish Guild for the Blind began providing outpatient Diabetes Self-Management Education in 1995 to meet the special needs of patients with diabetes and vision loss. What started as an education program has evolved to The Maxine and John M. Bendheim Center for Diabetes Care. Our mission is to provide comprehensive diabetes disease management including vision care with the goal of improving quality of life, minimizing complications, and preserving or enhancing the remaining vision of our patients. We serve individuals with both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. The majority of patients served are multi-ethnic and low income. Many have limited literacy and/or English skills. Our target population is the visually impaired diabetic or diabetics at risk for vision loss. Most patients are medically compromised with multiple physical and/or mental health issues. Our education program is recognized by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) as having met the national standards for diabetes self-management education. Staffing includes a board certified endocrinologist, low vision optometrists, RN certified diabetes educator, as well as specialties in internal medicine, nephrology, nutrition, podiatry, social work, physical, speech and occupational therapy. This unique team approach allows for collaborative patient care. Our interventions are designed to provide maximum medical and social support with the goal of assisting patients to make the lifestyle changes in diet and physical activity to achieve and maintain glucose control to manage the disease and potential complications. This presentation will discuss our team model of diabetes care.

Learning Objectives:

1 Discuss the advantages of a team approach to diabetes management.
• Identify barriers to glucose management for visually impaired diabetics.
• List interventions for lifestyle changes

Keywords: Diabetes, Vision Care

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation