DERIK (Diabetes Education and Revision in Kent) is a local QISMET accredited diabetes education programme for people living with type 2 diabetes.

The session provides information and support and brings together people with type 2 diabetes to give you an opportunity to share your experiences about managing diabetes on a day-to-day basis. DERIK is led by qualified healthcare professionals (diabetes specialist nurses or dietitians).

By taking part in DERIK you will:

• Learn new skills and develop confidence in the daily management of your diabetes
• Discover how to make small changes to your diet and lifestyle
• Meet others and share similar experiences

Course Delivery:

We have two options:

• A four-hour session face-to-face or
• A two-and-a-half-hour session delivered in a friendly group setting via a video call.

Course Content

• What is Diabetes? Including treatment choices.
• Healthy Eating: Making good food choices.
• Looking After Your Feet
• Long Term Complications: how to reduce the risk of developing complications.
• Activity: Why is it Important.
• Setting Goals: Do you want to make changes regarding your health?
• Your Questions and Answers.

Empower Type 2 is a QISMET accredited, national, award winning, programme designed to help you understand what diabetes is, the effect it has on the body and how to make small, achievable changes to the food you eat and your everyday life.

EMPOWER T2n is a transformative single group session of 4 hours ensuring patients gain maximum benefit.

Courses are run in a friendly face to face group setting.

Course Delivery

A single session, four hours long, delivered face-to-face in a group setting.

Course Content

• What is Diabetes? Why we eat, types of diabetes, why me & HbA1c.
• Oral Medications: Metformin and other medicines Wellbeing management & sick day rules.
• Reducing Risk: Annual health checks & short-term/long-term conditions.
• Food & Lifestyle: Balanced diet, fats, oils, dairy, protein, fruit, vegetables & carbohydrates.
• Glycaemic Index: Explanation & examples of high/medium/low.
• Food Labelling: Explanation, reading food labels-&-understanding the traffic light system.
• Physical Activity: Rethinking activity, beneficial activity, finding local groups & activity plan.
• Moving Forward: Goal setting, action planning & recording progress, local service signposting.

DESMOND (Diabetes Education and Self-Management for Ongoing and Newly Diagnosed) is a diabetes education session for those living with type 2 diabetes. Working with participants, the course targets lifestyle modification and behaviour change to help manage their type 2 diabetes.

Course Delivery

One day course delivered in a group setting with no more than 10 participants, by trained DESMOND educators.

Course Content

• The thoughts and feelings of the participants around diabetes.
• Understanding diabetes and glucose: what happens in the body.
• Understanding the risk factors and complications associated with diabetes.
• Understanding more about monitoring and medication.
• How to take control – Food Choices – Physical Activity; and
• Planning for the future

This course is designed for patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes, who want to make changes to their diet and lifestyle to improve their glycaemic control.

The aim is not to tell you what you should and shouldn’t do, but to help and support you in setting realistic goals to address concerns that you may have with your lifestyle such as what you eat and how active you are.

Course Delivery

• The course consists of 6 x 2.5-hour sessions, with morning, afternoon and evening sessions available at Sheppy Hospital and Sittingbourne Memorial Hospital.
• There is also the option to attend sessions remotely using Microsoft Teams.

Course Content

• What is Diabetes?
• Nutrition for Health and Fat Awareness
• Carbohydrate Awareness
• Psychology of eating, food shopping and physical activity
• Possible complications
• Recapping and the way forward

The Medway Structured Education for Diabetes (MEDSED) insulin programme is designed for those who are starting insulin or are already on Insulin.

This course will increase your knowledge, skills and understanding of your condition and how insulin is used to manage type 2 diabetes.

The course is designed to give you a full overview of different insulin regimens, managing self-administration of insulin and adjusting insulin are covered, as well as those all-important nuggets of information on hypoglycaemia, driving, travel and sick day rules. Participants will receive a free handbook, full of resources and information, and have the chance to address any concerns with the educator as well as share experiences with other people with Type 2 diabetes. The course is part of the overall service of the Community Diabetes Team, and all educators and specialist nurses/dietitians are part of the same team.

Course Delivery

One day session, face-to-face in Gillingham (approx. 5.5 hours)

Course Content

• What is Diabetes and why do people with Type 2 diabetes need insulin?
• utrition and Carbohydrate awareness/counting
• Different insulins, regimens and pen devices
• Safe administration of insulin – how to inject, storage and disposal of sharps and adjusting your doses
• Hypoglycamia and Hyperglycaemia - how to avoid and what to do
• Practical tips – driving, travel, insurance