November 20, 2019

Education is key to avoiding diabetes

By Ashleigh Plemper
Farmer Staff Writer

Did you know that November is Diabetes Awareness Month and Nov. 14 is World Diabetes Day? Well, rural healthcare providers do. Which is why there’s resources being offered to raise awareness as the first step of prevention.
“It used to be that Type 2 diabetes was for older people. But it’s a lot more common and actually happening in children these days,” says Lisa Iverson, McKenzie County Healthcare Systems, Inc. registered nurse and certified diabetes educator.
More recently, McKenzie County Healthcare Systems, Inc. (MCHS) began utilizing social media as a gateway outlet to making diabetes education more accessible to everyone.
“We are using a tool kit from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease,” Iverson says.
Through the website, there’s a risk assessment that features a short questionnaire that lasts a really simple 30 seconds, Iverson says. It then provides a score for the questions that gauges a person’s risk factor for Type 2 diabetes.
“Everyone should take the risk assessment to find out what your risks are,” Iverson says. “Because prevention is key.”

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