What is Take Charge of Your Diabetes?

Take Charge of Your Diabetes
- Take Charge of Your Diabetes (the Diabetes Self-Management Program) is a 6-week workshop.
- It teaches real-life skills for living a full, healthy life with diabetes.
- Classes are fun and interactive. Participants share their successes and build a common source of support.
- The workshop builds confidence around managing diabetes, staying active, and enjoying life.
Some counties are now offering:
- Living Well with Chronic Conditions Self-Management Program - a chronic disease self-management workshop that is open to anyone with a physical or mental chronic condition.
- Cancer: Thriving and Surviving Self-Management Program – a self-management workshop that specifically targets anyone affected by cancer.
Leaders:
- Two trained leaders at each location. At least one of them has a chronic condition.
Cost:
- Some sites may charge a small fee to cover the cost of the course materials, which includes a book and a CD.
What You Will Learn:
- Resources, skills, and action planning to give you a sense of greater control over life with diabetes.
Who Attends:
- People with diabetes and their family or friends.
Program Length:
- A 6-week program that meets 2 to 2½ hours each week.
Topics Covered:
- Blood sugar monitoring
- Facts about carbohydrates
- Symptoms of low blood sugar
- Preventing low blood sugar
- Preventing and delaying diabetes complications
- Role of medications in blood sugar control
- Blood sugar control during sick days
- Planning ahead for managing diabetes
- Working with your health care team
- Setting weekly goals
- Effective problem solving
- Better communication
- How to relax
- Safe, easy exercise
Description of Workshops
- Take Charge of Your Diabetes is the same as the Diabetes Self-Management Program (DSMP) developed by Stanford University.
- For more information, please go to the Self-Management Resource Center at https://www.selfmanagementresource.com.
Interested?
- Find a workshop near you by calling your local health department or visit the state website at https://www.tn.gov/health/health-program-areas/localdepartments.html for contact information.