AYM1 SERVICE PLAN BRIEF Service Plan Brief for Diabetes Education and Coaching Service Idea Diabetes education and coaching is a service designed to be a continuation of education after hospital discharge as well as a lifelong resource for counseling and coaching. This service will be in partnership with the local hospital and physicians will collaborate with service providers to aid in providing support and personalized care when needed. Diabetes is a chronic health condition that affects how your body turns food into energy. 34.2 million US adults have diabetes, and 1 in 5 of them do not know they have it. Diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death in the U.S. and the number one cause of kidney failure and lower limb amputations. The number of adults diagnosed with diabetes has doubled in the last 20 years. (What Is Diabetes?, 2020) The purpose of diabetes education and coaching would be to provide free, ongoing teachings to prediabetics and diabetics of all ages and empower patients to take control of their health. The mission of this service is to give patients the tools to succeed in living a healthy lifestyle alongside their disease and further improve their quality of life. It will do this by offering teachings to newly diagnosed diabetics on subjects like how to take your blood sugar, medications, how to administer insulin, signs and symptoms of hypo- and hyperglycemia, meal plans that are diabetic friendly, and how to be active. It will also give a sense of community and group support from fellow diabetics and allow patients to make connections with others to aid in their health journey and cope with the emotional side of diabetes. Coaching will also aid in these deliverables but will also give the patients a cheerleader and someone to celebrate their successes with. Often once the patient leaves the doctor’s office or is discharged from the hospital, they carry the burden of having to navigate this new or unfamiliar world of diabetes alone. This PAGE 2 AYM1 SERVICE PLAN BRIEF service plan allows for continuity of care and gives the patient a support system to assist them in their journey to a healthier life. Diabetes does not discriminate on who it effects, therefore, the target population for this service is broad. It is designed to cover individuals of all ages and not only those who are diagnosed with diabetes but those who are at risk for developing diabetes. Approximately 1 in 3 American adults have prediabetes. More than 84% of individuals with prediabetes don’t know they have it. Although prediabetes hasn’t reached the cusp to be diagnosed as diabetes yet, it is still a serious health condition that puts parties at for developing heart disease and stroke. (The Surprising Truth About Prediabetes, 2020) At this point in a person’s health pathway, being diagnosed with diabetes can be preventable. Lifestyle modifications are easy ways to turn prediabetes around and reduce one’s risk of developing diabetes. Such life modifications include losing weight, maintaining a healthy and balanced diet, and exercising. This service is important to this category of people because it can educate and coach these individuals on how to maintain healthy lifestyles and prevent being diagnosed with diabetes. For example, the proposed service plan will provide classes and coaching on nutrition. This will include meal ideas (that are budget friendly), local healthy food store options, and foods that promote health and those to avoid or intake in moderation. For those diagnosed with diabetes, the service plan can offer many different areas of education and coaching. These may be after a new diagnosis of diabetes or a continuation of health promotion while living with diabetes. The service plan will offer one on one education on how to check capillary blood sugars and what those results mean. It will also offer how to draw up and self-administer insulin as well as education on other diabetic medications and their side effects. In addition, education on coaching on nutrition, exercise, and diabetic support groups PAGE 3 AYM1 SERVICE PLAN BRIEF will also be offered. This service plan will also offer telehealth services where patients, diabetic and prediabetic, can receive their education and coaching right from their home. This helps reach the patients who may be disabled and find it difficult to visit the service site or are limited to outings due to covid.