Parish nurses get help to fight diabetes

Rates of pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes are on the rise among seniors and low-income families in the U.S. -- but a new grant for parish nursing programs, administered by Seton Health's Faith Community Nursing program in Troy, may help to stop those diseases in their tracks in the Albany Diocese.

The two-year, $500,000 grant was awarded by the New York Health Foundation and funded by Blue Cross/Blue Shield. Several parishes in the Diocese are among the eight recipients of grant monies: St. Joseph's/St. John's in Rensselaer, and St. Joseph's and Holy Trinity in Cohoes.

Sandy Cornwell, parish nurse for the Cohoes churches, told The Evangelist that the grant will help individuals who are at risk of developing diabetes to learn about healthier living through regular exercise and choosing better foods.

Some of the Cohoes Catholics kicked off their program last month with a clinic at a parish garage sale.

Type 2 Diabetes puts an individual at higher risk for heart attack and other complications by inhibiting the body's insulin production. Lack of exercise and poor food choices can contribute to the onset of this disease, Ms. Cornwell said, as well as family history and ethnic background.

One of the fastest ways for people to learn whether they are at risk is to have blood glucose level testing. According to Ms. Cornwell, that is the first part of a two-step process that the chosen parishes have begun to implement.

"The parish nurses were trained in April. In June, [one] parish held a clinic during our garage sale. We wanted to reach as large a group as possible and figured the garage sale would be a good way to do that; we have many visitors for that sale," she said.

The next step is to determine the condition of those tested and invite them to classes in September. The classes will help those at risk learn what they can do to hold diabetes at bay.

Designed by Seton Health's Outpatient Diabetic Education program, the classes will explore information on diabetes, healthy eating, how to fit regular exercise into daily life and how to set realistic goals for long-term healthy living.

"Even small changes can make a significant impact on one's situation: for example, a 10-pound weight loss can dramatically improve one's health," Ms. Cornwell noted.

Blood testing and classes will be repeated by the Cohoes parishes in the spring.

"The two-year grant provides enough monies for the eight chosen sites to implement a long-term awareness program for the public. Its implementation will also allow Seton Health to design a model program for future use," Ms. Cornwell said.

The parish nurse noted that many people who have pre-diabetic conditions often have no idea: "Many of the symptoms go unnoticed, such as increased thirst or urination or unexplained weight loss. Statistics have shown that people often have a pre-diabetic condition for up to five years before they are even diagnosed."

Individuals who are found to have more serious needs will be referred to Seton's Outpatient Diabetic Clinic in Troy.

(07/10/08)