Getting Started: Organizing a Dining with Diabetes Program

Transcription

1 Dining with Diabetes 1:1 Chapter 1 Getting Started: Organizing a Dining with Diabetes Program This chapter contains information needed to organize a Dining with Diabetes program in your county. It will give the specific steps that need to be completed prior to holding a program. An overview of each class session and data collection methods will be covered in the following chapter. Lecture notes and overhead transparencies for each class session are located under the chapter for that specific class. The PowerPoint presentation is on the CD located inside the front cover of this notebook. The following information is covered in this chapter: 1. Selecting your class location 2. Choosing the best time for the class 3. Recruiting health care partners and volunteers 4. Obtaining program materials 5. Participant recruitment and registration 6. Where to get help Program Location The Dining with Diabetes programs have been held in a variety of locations throughout West Virginia. Locations have included church fellowship halls, senior citizen centers, high schools and vocational technical centers, local fire halls, community centers, hospitals, 4-H camps, and Extension Service offices. In selecting a location, you will want to consider the site in terms of participant recruitment. For example, local churches may have a number of members with diabetes and would be willing to promote the program in their church bulletin; senior centers may encourage their members who have diabetes to attend, and hospital dietitians and diabetes educators may refer their patients. Criteria for selecting a site include having enough space for the participants to move about and comfortable seating and tables to write on. The site should be accessible both in terms of easy access for those with disabilities and physical mobility limitations and in terms of where people live. It is a good idea to rotate each series of classes to different parts of the county to facilitate involving persons from various ethnic groups, income brackets, ages, and other demographic determinates. Your location should allow you access to kitchen facilities, including a stove with a working oven, a sink, and a refrigerator. Kitchens may be in an adjoining room or in the same area as the participants. If the kitchen is in an adjoining room, you will need to have a demonstration table and access to an electrical outlet for the AV equipment and for

2 Dining with Diabetes 1:2 recipe demonstrations. In either situation, you will need a second table for serving the food samples. Frequently, volunteers are asked to bake, finish, and portion recipes for serving. Make sure you have permission for volunteers to use the kitchen facility. In reserving the location, make sure it is available for all four sessions and for the follow-up session three months later. Access to the site will be needed for approximately two hours before the session for setup and one hour after the session for cleanup. If there is a fee for the use of the site, be sure to clear this with the diabetes education program specialist before proceeding. Choosing the Best Time Health Care Partners and Volunteer Recruitment Choosing the time of year and the time of day to hold your Dining with Diabetes program is an important decision that will require advance planning. Classes may be scheduled anytime during the year. The challenge will be scheduling four weekly classes in a row with a follow-up session three months after the last class. Holidays, weather, county fairs and camps, and various community events will need to be taken into consideration. In selecting a time to hold the classes, consider who the participants will be. Will most be retired, elderly, disabled, or unemployed persons? If so, would a morning or afternoon class be better? Are more of the likely participants employed during the day and only able to attend an evening class? Consideration will also need to be given to when the health care partners and volunteers are available. A certified diabetes educator (CDE) or a registered dietitian (RD) should be present at each session of the program. CDEs are health care professionals who have passed a certifying examination after extensive study and completion of many hours in direct diabetes patient teaching. The CDE can be a registered dietitian, a registered nurse or nurse practitioner, a pharmacist, a physician or physician assistant, an exercise physiologist, or a social worker. RDs are trained in dietetics and in meal planning for people with diabetes. The health care partner will present the curriculum and serve as a resource person during the program. Be sure to provide these partners with a copy of the curriculum lecture notes and recipes so they can be prepared and familiar with the material. For each class, four to six volunteers will be needed to set up the teaching area, greet and register participants, assist in recipe preparation, and help clean up. Volunteers are especially helpful in finishing the dishes that are prepared as demonstrations and in preparing dishes that are made before class. Community Educational Outreach Service club members (CEOS), student interns, support group members, and past participants are valuable volunteers. Other volunteers may include physicians, pharmacists, home economics teachers, WIC Nutritionists, public health nurses, and retired health care providers.

3 Dining with Diabetes 1:3 Invitations may be sent to members of the facility where the class is being held, such as church representatives or senior center directors. Representatives of recognized diabetes education programs or support groups in the community may also be invited. A sample letter for the health care partners is included at the end of this chapter and on the CD. Program Materials Recruitment and Registration Materials for the Dining with Diabetes program, with the exception of recipe ingredients, paper products and beverages, will be sent to the county Extension Office two to three weeks prior to the class. Materials will include data collection forms, materials for the On the Road to Living Well with Diabetes session, recipe booklets, handouts, product samples, and door prizes. Extension educators will need to contact the diabetes education program specialist with the dates of the classes and the expected number of participants at least three weeks before the class so that materials will arrive on time. Materials needed for each class are listed on the first page of each session chapter. As materials are packed, each box will include a packing form that confirms the materials enclosed. A copy of this packing form is located at the end of this chapter. The back of the form is to be filled in and returned to the state office at the end of the fourth session. Each county will be provided recipe demonstration equipment kits that can be transported to the class locations. Each county will also receive a copy of the low-impact and stretch exercise video, Lift Off LA. To purchase recipe ingredients, paper products, beverages, and similar supplies a procurement card system has been put into place. Extension educators will receive a procurement card after completing a training session on the card s use and required documentation. Supplies for each session may be purchased with the card. Any partner or volunteer who has agreed to prepare one of the recipes should make arrangements to pick up all necessary ingredients in advance from the Extension educator. The Dining with Diabetes lecture notes are available on both overhead transparencies and as a PowerPoint presentation. Depending upon which format is used, an overhead projector or laptop computer and LCD projector, and a screen will be needed. These pieces of AV equipment should be on hand at each county office. Funding partners are welcome; donations of paper products, food items, and in-kind services help stretch limited grant dollars. If you know of sources for additional educational materials or are offered samples to share with your class, please check with the state Extension office before you distribute them. The state Extension office will include many of these extras when your supplies are shipped to you. Dining with Diabetes is designed for persons with diabetes and their family members or caregivers. Participants are recruited through newspaper articles, radio PSAs, personal contact, or sending information and flyers to local organizations or agencies. Churches or synagogues, pharmacies, CEOS clubs, senior citizen centers, clinics, and hospitals are all good places

4 Dining with Diabetes 1:4 to recruit participants. Diabetes support groups and diabetes educators are also good sources of participant recruitment. A sample flyer, which has been approved by the IRB and includes credit to grant-funding sources, is located at the end of this chapter and on the CD. The flyer can be personalized with local dates, times, and locations and can be printed from the CD. Ideas for places to distribute flyers include pharmacies, churches, senior citizen centers, grocery stores, clinics, health departments, and area support groups. Newspaper articles and radio PSAs may also be helpful. Samples are included at the end of the chapter and on the CD. Advertising should begin six weeks to one month before the program begins. All promotional material must include references to our funding sources. For specific wording and logos, contact the diabetes education program specialist in Morgantown. Registration is done through the county Extension office with the registration form completed as each person calls or comes in prior to the class. Each participant with diabetes should be encouraged to enroll one family member or caregiver to attend with him or her. Enrollment is limited to 25 people who have diabetes plus family members or caretakers. Participants are expected to attend all four sessions plus the three month follow-up. If at all possible, participants should be given reminder phone calls or postcards prior to the first class and before the follow-up class. The state Extension Service office in Morgantown will require three to four weeks notice in order to ship your materials on time. The expected number of participants may have to be estimated and unused materials returned at a later date. The class registration form has been standardized for all classes. A copy of the registration form can be found at the end of this chapter. The form is also on the CD so that copies may be printed as needed. Getting help The West Virginia University Extension Service office in Morgantown has an Extension specialist and diabetes education program specialist to assist with questions or concerns regarding the Dining with Diabetes program. The responsibilities for these positions include providing diabetes education for Extension personnel as well as training for those wishing to conduct diabetes education events for the public. Please contact these specialists for help in organizing a Dining with Diabetes program.

5 Dining with Diabetes 1:5 Chapter 1 Attachments Sample Health Care Partner Letter Class Packing Form Class Promotion Flyer Sample Newspaper News Release Sample Radio PSA Registration Form

6 Dining with Diabetes 1:6 Sample Health Care Partner Letter (Date) (Name) (Address) Dear (Partner Name), Thank you for your willingness to assist with the WVU Extension Service Dining with Diabetes program. We welcome your expertise, experience and your support of our program. This letter is to thank you for your willingness to be our health care partner in the Dining with Diabetes program. It will also attempt to answer a number of questions that you may have about our program. If you would like additional information or have questions, please call me at (phone number). Who runs the program and how is it funded? The WVU Extension Service offers the Dining with Diabetes program statewide. This program is funded in part through a basic implementation grant from the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), the West Virginia Bureau for Public Health, Diabetes Prevention and Control Program. This service is provided free of charge. County Extension educators are responsible for the local oversight of the program. What will my time commitment be? Classes are held once a week for four weeks with a three-month follow-up. Each class runs approximately two hours. Additional time will be required for preparation and travel. (number of classes) per year are usually held in (name of county) County. What will my responsibilities be? The Dining with Diabetes program is offered through an educational partnership between the health care provider and the Extension educator. No class is run without both persons being present. Your expertise in diabetes care and management makes you a very valuable member of this partnership. We would like for you to take the lead role in presenting the clinical and lecture portion of the program. We will provide you with a copy of the lecture notes, overhead transparencies/ PowerPoint presentation, and the recipes. For purposes of data collection and consistency across the state, please do not make changes to the curriculum without talking with the Extension office in Morgantown.

7 Dining with Diabetes 1:7 One of the most important contributions you bring to this program is your ability to answer participant questions regarding diabetes or knowing where the answer can be found. We will direct these questions to you. Keep in mind this program does not replace medical care, provide individual meal plans, or discuss specific individual medication questions. What is the role of the Extension Educator? The WVU Extension Educator is responsible for the overall local organization of the Dining with Diabetes program: recruiting participants, selecting the location, setting the date and time, recruiting volunteers, obtaining all supplies, gathering the data questionnaires, and conducting the recipe demonstrations. They may teach segments of the lessons, depending upon their educational background, experience, and level of comfort with the material. We sincerely appreciate the time and energy that you bring to this program. Diabetes is a growing epidemic and places a tremendous physical and financial burden on the citizens of West Virginia. Your assistance with the Dining with Diabetes program helps to move us one step closer to lessening the burden. Thank you again for your help. Sincerely, (Name of Extension educator)

8 Dining with Diabetes 1:8 Dining with Diabetes Class Packing Form County: Extension Educator: School Dates: School Number: Sets of Material Sent: Date Sent: Please check all that apply. Session One On the Road Participant Notebooks: Participant Letter Demographic and Pre-Questionnaire on Self-Management and Clinical Issues IRB Form On the Road Booklet Plate Method Poster Food Pyramid Brochure Snack Recipes Labels: For all data collection materials Handouts: Session Two Sessions/Data Pre-Questionnaire on Knowledge and Behavior Recipe Booklet Sugar Substitute Guide Handouts: Session Three Fats and Sodium Recipe Booklets Healthy Uses of Fats Types of Fats Handouts: Session Four Vitamins, Minerals & Fiber Post-Questionnaire (abbreviated) Program Evaluation Recipe Booklets Handouts: Three-Month Follow-Up Session Post-Questionnaire on Knowledge and Behavior Post-Questionnaire on Self-Management and Clinical Issues Recipe Booklet Handouts: Comments continued

9 Dining with Diabetes 1:9 Class Packing Form continued County Extension Educators: Please complete the following questions. At the end of your fourth session, mail to Karen Newton at the State Extension office in Morgantown along with your data collection materials. Who were your health care partners? Name Discipline Affiliation Did you receive any in-kind donations? (Please check all that apply) Use of space Door prizes Recipe ingredients Paper products Other Did you use volunteers? (Please check all that apply) CEOS Students (identify) Health Care Professionals (Other than your teaching partner) RN, LPN, NP MD, PA Pharmacist, Pharmacy Tech Other Comments or class stories:

10 Dining with Diabetes 1:10 Dining with Diabetes Class Promotion Flyer Dining with Diabetes A School for People with Diabetes and their Families Where: When: (location name) (location address) (date and time of classes) Contact: (Extension agent name, county, phone number) Call Now to Register Space Is Limited (phone number) This program is free and open to anyone with diabetes and their family members or caretakers. Classes will include demonstrations on how to prepare meals that are healthy and use less fat, salt, and sugar without cutting taste. There will be an opportunity to taste a variety of main dishes, side dishes, and desserts. Dining with Diabetes is a research project that teaches individuals with diabetes and their families about better ways to prepare food that may improve their diabetes management. If you have diabetes, we will take your blood pressure and have you do a finger stick to test your A1c. These tests are free of charge and the results will be given to you. You will also be asked to complete a questionnaire. Your participation in these activities is voluntary. Dining with Diabetes is a program of West Virginia University Extension Service. It is funded in part by the West Virginia Diabetes Prevention and Control Program, West Virginia Bureau for Public Health. Principal investigator is Dr. Guen Brown. Programs offered by the West Virginia University Extension Service are available to all persons without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age, veteran status, political beliefs, sexual orientation, national origin, and martial or family status.

11 Dining with Diabetes 1:11 Sample News Release Contact Name: Phone Number: Fax Number: For Immediate Release The West Virginia University County Extension Office will be offering a Dining with Diabetes class beginning (day of the week, date) at (time when to when) at the (location). Dining with Diabetes is a once a week class that runs for four weeks with a three-month follow-up class. This class is open to those with diabetes, their family members and caretakers. The classes are free but space is limited and pre-registration is required. Participants must attend all class sessions. You will learn how to prepare meals that are healthy, easy to prepare and taste good. Recipes will be demonstrated and participants will have the opportunity to taste each one. Participants will also learn up-to-date information on nutrition, meal planning, exercise and how to understand common diabetes-related medical tests. Recipe booklets and handouts will be given to each participant. Diabetes is a very serious and costly disease, but research has shown that those who learn to manage their blood glucose (sugar) levels, eat healthy, and exercise regularly can lower their risk of complications and lead a healthier and more productive life. Dining with Diabetes is offered statewide and is sponsored by the West Virginia University Extension Service with partial funding provided by the West Virginia Diabetes Prevention and Control Program, Bureau for Public Health, though a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Registration for this program can be made by calling the County Extension Office at (phone number) by (date).

12 Dining with Diabetes 1:12 Sample Radio PSAs Contact Name: Phone Number: Fax Number: Start Date: 30 seconds Do you or a member of your family have diabetes? Is planning meals a real struggle? The County Extension Service is offering a Dining with Diabetes program that may be right for you. Classes will be held beginning (day and date) from (time when to when) at the (location). You will learn how to prepare healthy meals that have less fat, sugar and salt without cutting out taste. To register call, (phone number). Classes are free, but space is limited. You must register by (date). Call today and get on the road to healthier living. 30 seconds Do you have diabetes? Do you have questions about what you re supposed to eat, how much you can eat and when? The County Extension Office will be starting their Dining with Diabetes program on (day and date) from (time when to when) at the (location). You ll learn nutritious and delicious ways to prepare your favorite recipes using less sugar, salt and fats. Dining with Diabetes is sponsored by the WVU Extension Service and the West Virginia Diabetes Prevention and Control Program. Call the county extension office at (phone number) to register; space is limited, so call today.

13 Dining with Diabetes 1:13 Dining with Diabetes Registration Form County Dates Location School No. Has Diabetes No. Name Address Phone # Yes/No continued

14 Dining with Diabetes 1:14 Dining with Diabetes Registration Form County Dates Location School No. Has Diabetes No. Name Address Phone # Yes/No continued

15 Dining with Diabetes 1:15 Dining with Diabetes Registration Form County Dates Location School No. Has Diabetes No. Name Address Phone # Yes/No