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Managing diabetes less stressful with structure, organization
ORLANDO — The tasks required to successfully manage diabetes may be numerous, but they don’t have to be overwhelming, according to presenters at the American Association of Diabetes Educators annual meeting.
Solid organizational skills — from getting out the door in the morning to decluttering the kitchen to being a proactive parent — can alleviate stress for patients managing the chronic condition and even empower them.
Susan Weiner, MS, RDN, CDE, CDN, and Leslie Josel, a certified professional organizer who helps people take back their lives in the television show “Hoarders,” joined forces to develop strategies for patients with diabetes.
“We have school, we have work, we have families and relationships and a lot of things we do,” Weiner said. “It shouldn’t only be about have-to’s and must-do’s with diabetes. We should be able to accomplish our want-to’s as well.”
Health care professionals can work with their patients and encourage organization in four areas:
Time-Saving Techniques
Getting up and out the door in the morning is a struggle for many, Josel said. Once patients take a good look at their checklist, certain preparation and time-saving techniques can help them streamline their start to the day.
Laying out clothes and preparing breakfast, lunch and snacks are two forward-thinking methods that can help simplify the day. Josel also suggests creating a “launching pad” in the house where everything that needs to go out the door is stationed.
Leslie Josel
“To truly be able to manage time, people need to be able to visualize it,” Josel explained. “Most of us have no concept of how long things take.”
Dial clocks, rather than digital, let people see the time that actually passes during tasks, Josel said. Keeping logs can also help patients get a clearer picture, she added, and using music or alarms as timing mechanisms are other tricks to keep them on track.
Orderly Kitchen
Knowing where supplies are stored in the kitchen and being able to easily locate and use ingredients and cookware are key for patients to maintain healthy eating patterns, but may be one of the biggest roadblocks, Weiner said.
“It’s really important to have someplace in the kitchen as a designated spot where fast-acting carbohydrates are kept — not just to reach for it to treat low blood sugar, but also because people repeatedly buy the same things because they either forgot they had it or they couldn’t find it or it was expired when they went to go use it,” Weiner said.
Organization should happen by “use” rather than “fit,” Josel explained, which crosses over to supplies including glucose meters and strips, along with technology like batteries. Josel said it is critical patients keep all the components together so they know what they have and what they need.
The pair mentioned several tools to help in these areas, from making lists (either paper or virtual) and using apps offered by grocery stores to de-cluttering and assigning locations.
“A lot of it isn’t about time, it’s about the overwhelming-ness of a project,” Josel said. “It’s about taking your project and ‘underwhelming’ yourself by breaking it down into manageable tasks.”
Once patients toss what they don’t need, solutions and strategies could be clear containers, pantry door racks (including a clear plastic shoe bag for corralling meters and testing supplies), drawer dividers and sliding baskets for cabinets.
Well-positioned Parents
Keeping positive and focused, along with keeping information within reach, should be top priority for parents to ensure safety for their children with diabetes, whether at school or traveling, according to the women.
“Go in with a good attitude, these people are part of your team, these people are with your children during the school day, and go prepared,” Wiener said. “Do not be vague, do not leave anything for their interpretation, tell them what they need to know.”
Creating a binder with pertinent information including copies of medical reports, detailed instructions for diabetes supplies and signed health forms makes it simple for parents to have any answers with them at all times, Josel said. Making a diabetes school supply checklist, a travel checklist and a portable toolkit — and keeping them updated — can simplify safety.
“The more checklists you can have the better,” Josel said. “You can put an index card in the box with a list of what’s supposed to be in the box. It takes the remembering out of remembering.”
The most powerful tool, Josel shared, is a detailed “one-page” describing a child’s condition, medication specifics and what he or she needs to stay safe. That page can be given to anyone and can even be turned into a screen saver for a phone so a child always has it handy.
Organizing Paperwork
Developing a paperwork strategy can help patients better manage what often amounts to a mountain, between medical bills and receipts and food diaries, Weiner explained.
Because this task is so important but also so unique to individuals, however, this can be a heated topic, Josel said. “Some people are pilers and some people are filers. Some are revealers and some are concealers.”
Early on, patients should acknowledge who is handling the paperwork if there are other people involved besides themselves, Josel said. Then, they can initially separate papers into the simple categories of “reference” or “current.” Further filing techniques suggested were categorical, chronological and color-coded.
“You can work with your patients to find out what would work best for them,” Josel said. “Categorically is good for patients if they want things divided — doctors, labs, claims — and to get things quickly and more specifically. Chronologically is a much better way if patients want to see their history in a natural way.”
Going paperless is yet another route patients could go, especially with a number of health organizer web sites available as well as online apps for paperwork. — by Allegra Tiver
For More Information: Weiner S. and Josel L. W14. Presented at: The American Association of Diabetes Educators Annual Meeting 2014; August 6-9, 2014; Orlando, Fla.
The Complete Diabetes Organizer: Your Guide to a Less Stressful and More Manageable Diabetes Life.
Order Out of Chaos – Medical Binder Organization
Disclosures: Weiner and Josel reported no relevant disclosures.