Released: May 3, 2023
The County of Delaware Services Office of Services for the Aging (COSA), in collaboration with the PA Department of Aging, is offering the nationally recognized Diabetes Self-Management Program in a virtual format over Zoom for those age 60 and older who either have diabetes, prediabetes, or care for someone with diabetes.
The program will be held online, via Zoom, on Thursdays from 9:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. beginning May 18 through June 22.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s recently released 2022 National Diabetes Statistics Report notes the percentage of U.S. adults with diabetes increases with age and affects 29.2% of people age 65 and over in the U.S., and 26.4 million or 48.8% of people in this age group have prediabetes. This report also notes that 8.5 million people or 23% of adults go undiagnosed. The COVID-19 pandemic identified diabetes as an underlying condition that increases a person’s chance of severe illness, as nearly 4 in 10 adults dying from COVID-19 had diabetes.
The World Health Organization notes that people with diabetes can live long, healthy lives when their diabetes is detected and well-managed. If you have diabetes or pre-diabetes, now is the time to re-commit to being the best self-manager you can be.
This proven evidence-based self-management program developed at Stanford University is used internationally to help and empower those who have diabetes live healthier, feel better, and enjoy life. The American Diabetes Association identifies this program as meeting the Diabetes Support Initiative criteria for support programming.
Program costs are covered by COSA, so the program is FREE, however class size is limited. Registration and participation are mandatory. To register, contact Ellen Williams at williamse@co.delaware.pa.us or by calling (610) 499-1937.