Aotearoa Diabetes Collective

We're seeking a motivated and proactive individual with a passion for innovation to take on the role of Office/Medical Administrator at Aotearoa Diabetes Collective. Our diabetes service values and celebrates diversity and it is important to us that all people feel welcome at our service. We are committed to upholding the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and driving care delivery that contributes to equitable health outcomes for Māori. If your values align with ours - we want to hear from you. Competency with digital technology is essential, along with a solution-focused approach.

Apply here: https://www.seek.co.nz/job/75102465?ref=search-standalone&type=standard =52b9fe40b80f190f7b4147dc00a937877bbde425

Meri Kirihimete from the team at ADC. We hope you all have a wonderful holiday period with whānau. A massive thank you to all of our colleagues in healthcare who work through this time.

It has been a full on and busy first year in business for us. Our team has grown from 3 to 5 (plus the tamariki / rest of the whānau of course). We will be taking some time off, returning to business as usual on the 15th of Jan when we will be diving straight back into our mahi. We can't wait to see what the next year brings . Ngā mihi, the ADC Team

Kia ora e te whānau, Aotearoa Diabetes Collective Trust are looking for more board members! The goal at ADC is to have a trust board that has lots of diverse expertise and world views that more accurately reflects the population of people most affected by diabetes. If you, or someone you know is interested please fill in our application of interest form here https://www.aotearoadiabetescollective.org.nz/adc-board-recruitment/ Ngā mihi nui, ADC Team

Happy Diabetes Awareness Month!!

Travelling with diabetes takes a bit more preparation and planning! Here are some handy tips for you to save if your are planning a trip away this summer!

The difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes is often mistaken as needing insulin. In fact the difference is what causes diabetes. With type 1 diabetes it is an autoimmune condition that must be managed with insulin. With type 2 diabetes there are many factors that contribute to someone developing diabetes, Type 2 diabetes can go into remission but for many people they often need a mixture of diet, lifestyle, pills, injectable medicine and insulin.

The key similarity between both type 1 and type 2 is that they both cause high blood glucose levels which can lead to complications and higher risk of cardiovascular disease.

A diagnosis of type 1 or type 2 diabetes can come with a heavy burden, shame and stigma. Both have their own challenges. It is really important to remember that no one chooses to have diabetes, just like no one chooses to have asthma, arthritis or cancer.

Next time you meet someone with diabetes, try removing any blame and judgement from your questions and remember that living with diabetes is hard work.

Kia ora e te whānau, Aotearoa Diabetes Collective Trust are looking for more board members! The goal at ADC is to have a trust board that has lots of diverse expertise and world views that more accurately reflects the population of people most affected by diabetes. If you know of anyone who may be interested please contact us. Ngā mihi nui, ADC Team

There’s no place like home! Today was a bit of a pinch me moment!! We finally moved into our very own office! We didn’t quite anticipate needing to get our own offices this year, and a lot of mahi has gone into getting us here, including lots of Trademe hunting (check out our $5 chairs!!) All of our hubbies and kids got stuck in with the move today and of course we all celebrated with a drink and pizzas on the floor - because that’s what you do when you move right!

Stay tuned for some updated pics and info!! Love from the very excited and tired team at Aotearoa Diabetes Collective Claire Lever Rachael Sampson Solita Rose

Mānawatia a Matariki — Happy Māori New Year from the team at Aotearoa Diabetes Collective.

A time to celebrate with your whānau. Time to reflect and give thanks to the resources from our environment. Time to remember people who have passed and a time to make plans and goals for the future. A beautiful celebration for everyone in Aotearoa!

Pharmac has created a webpage to share updates on the procurement status of continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), insulin pumps and insulin pump consumables. View the webpage and sign up for email notifications when it's updated at pharmac.govt.nz/cgms.

Let’s learn about Hba1c - that’s the blood test that is used to screen for and diagnose diabetes and also give us an average of blood glucose levels over the past 3 months (approximately).

Depending on what type of diabetes you have, Hba1c results can mean different things. It’s important to chat with your healthcare team about your own goals as they are often different for different people. For example an 81 year olds goal Hba1c will be very different to a 24 year old who wants to get pregnant.

Some other fun facts about Hba1c:
- There is a legacy effect of maintaining a lower Hba1c in the years after being diagnosed.
- Hba1c is not accurate if you have very high or low iron or anaemia.
- Hba1c can be really helpful, but like anything with diabetes, it is just a number that gives us information to make decisions. It is not the be all and end all when assessing glucose control and health.

Did you learn anything new?

*Hba1c above 50 twice or once with symptoms of high blood glucose levels is used to diagnose Type 2 Diabetes in Aotearoa. In other areas of the world it is 48mmol/mol.

We are so excited to see the 2GO-CGM protocol get published & super proud of our team members who are involved in this study!

Read about it here https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40200-023-01244-y

How often do you change your needles?
Did you know why you should change your needles every time? or at least daily?Lipohypertrophy (lumpy scar tissue under the skin) can really effect the way your insulin / diabetes medication is absorbed.
Making simple changes can make a huge difference to how stable your glucose levels are & also reduce the pain of injections

Also did you know you can get 200 needles per prescription !!

Did you know we offer diabetes nurse specialist clinics for whānau with diabetes. Our nurses are accredited specialist diabetes nurses and all nurse prescribers! We are passionate about helping whānau to thrive with diabetes! To learn more you can view our brochure here https://www.aotearoadiabetescollective.org.nz/site_files/33627/upload_files/ADCBrochure(3)(1).pdf?dl=1

Kia ora diabetes whānau, we are planning to share some educational content over the coming weeks. These might be a helpful refresher, or have some wee gems that help you to manage diabetes.

Insulin injection techniques – technique matters! And it can make a huge different to your blood sugars. One of the first things we do when we meet someone who takes insulin who is having high / low or erratic blood sugars is check out how, when and where they are injecting. Often there are some small changes that can make a HUGE difference to the way your insulin is absorbed which can make your blood sugars more stable!

Often people don’t change their needles very often, have a ‘favourite spot’ that doesn’t hurt (because it has scar tissue), they might be using really long needles (which can go into muscle), or injecting through their clothes. If this is you, try making some of the suggested changes and see if it helps you!

Please check out other resources such as Health Navigator or Diabetes NZ for more information https://www.healthnavigator.org.nz/medicines/i/insulin-injection-sites/

Let us know, is there anything you found interesting in this post or if there is anything you would like us to cover.

Ngā mihi, ADC

A huge thank you to the Fijian Society Hamilton for inviting us to speak about Diabetes! We had an amazing day with your community, sharing and learning about diabetes, enjoying amazing food and even having a dance!! Thank you so much for the opportunity, we felt very honored and had an awesome time with a lot of laughter!

If you would like to get in touch about education that we may be able to help provide reach out via our website www.aotearoadiabetescollective.org.nz

People with diabetes and other long term health conditions are eligible for a free flu vaccine.

If you have diabetes you are more likely to get really sick or be hospitalised with the flu. Being sick can also wreck havoc with your blood sugars!

The flu vaccine reduces your risk of catching the flu, or if you do get it, it helps to prevent you from getting seriously ill. It also helps prevent you from spreading the flu to vulnerable whānau, such as elderly, pregnant and immunocompromised people.

If you want some more information check out these resources:

https://www.healthnavigator.org.nz/medicines/i/influenza-vaccine-adults/

https://www.immunise.health.nz/about-immunisation/nz-immunisations/flu-influenza-vaccine

https://www.diabetes.org.nz/flu-vaccine

The rising cost of living is hitting families hard. While only 25% of kids are eligible for Ka Ora Ka Ako healthy school lunches, we know expanding this programme would make a huge difference for many more tamariki.

Health Coalition Aotearoa, of which we are an organisational member, is calling for at least a doubling of this programme to ensure children and teens in middle-income schools and kura get at least one square healthy meal a day.

We have the evidence to show healthy kai helps kids learn, we have public support, and now we need your help to make it a priority. Add your name to the petition today and share it with your colleagues, family and friends."

Sign the petition: https://www.healthcoalition.org.nz/ka-ora-ka-ako/

Happy Easter everyone from the team at Aotearoa Diabetes Collective.
Easter weekend is a time for fun with your whānau. It’s a time to enjoy a treat. It’s also a long weekend where many of us will indulge in more kai and alcohol than we might usually. It’s also the start the school holidays, you may be travelling away and the weather is a bit hit and miss. All of the fun chaos of this weekend can make it a real challenge to manage your blood sugars!
Some tips from us;
- Get active with your whānau – bonus it also keeps the kids busy!!
- Try some carb swaps (1 hotcross bun has 45-50g of carbohydrate, similar to a cup of rice or 3 pieces of bread).
- Don’t beat yourself up for having a treat!
- Increase your veges and high fibre foods to keep you full and nourished.
- Stay hydrated and try to get 6-8 hours sleep (maybe even a sneaky nap).
- Driving - If you are travelling away, and you take insulin make sure to check your glucose before you drive and every 2 hours on the trip. Remember your BGL should be 5 to drive!
- Alcohol - If you take insulin or sulphonylureas, and you are drinking alcohol, check your glucose levels more often and snack regularly.
- Stay safe whānau and have a Happy Easter!

Aotearoa Diabetes Collective are excited to be supporting The Advanced Diabetes Management Course is designed to support health professionals working with whānau with diabetes.
Register your interest here https://www.aotearoadiabetescollective.org.nz/advanced-diabetes-management-course/

Aotearoa Diabetes Collective are proud to be supporting The Advanced Diabetes Management Course. This course is designed to support health professionals working with whānau with diabetes. Register your interest here https://www.aotearoadiabetescollective.org.nz/advanced-diabetes-management-course/

These major weather events are a good reminder to make sure you have an ‘In Case of Emergency Kit’. It’s similar to a ‘sick day kit’ but it means you have all the gear you need to manage your diabetes (and other illnesses) in the event you need to evacuate, or you are isolated at home for some time.

Some tips and tricks:
- Keep a list of your regular meds on your phone/in your kit.
- Make sure you have sealed hypo treatment like hypofit gel or juice boxes, and complex carbs like meusli bars.
- Keep spare batteries/a battery pack if you use an insulin pump.
- Keep some spare test strips, ketone strips (check they haven’t expired), needles, etc
- A cooler bag is a good idea if your storing insulin / other items that are usually kept in the fridge.
- Save your GP and Pharmacy phone number and/or write them down and keep them in your ICE kit.

Just a friendly reminder that living with diabetes is hard mahi, and it’s so normal to get burnt out and tired!

Let’s be more self compassionate and celebrate the hard work and effort that goes into managing this condition! Whether it’s taking your medication, cooking for yourself or your whānau, going for a walk, checking your blood sugar, or just even thinking about diabetes, it all takes effort and for that you should be proud!

Do you feel like you need a bit more help to get on top of your diabetes? Whether it's understanding pre-diabetes, adjusting your diet, lifestyle or medications, right through to using advanced technology, our friendly, non-judgmental team can help you thrive with diabetes.

Our approach is practical, evidence-based and led by you and your goals! No fad diets, gimmicks, judgement, blaming or shaming.

We can help make complicated things seem simple and help you achieve your goals! Our job is to awhi/support you and your whānau to gain the tools to feel empowered to live a fulfilling life with diabetes.

To book: Call 0800 HEY ADC (439 232), email [email protected] or visit our website https://www.aotearoadiabetescollective.org.nz/referrals/

Ngā mihi nui,
ADC Team

# type2

Did you know Diabetes affects approximately 290,000 people in Aotearoa. That’s the population of some of our big cities!!

It disproportionately affects Māori and Pacifika whānau and is a disease where there is still a lot of shame, stigma and individual blame.

Diabetes is not a ‘you’ problem. There is a huge genetic component and there is so much more to Type 2 diabetes than lifestyle alone. We will continue to add facts to our did you know series and hopefully break down some of the myths and stigma on our stories.

Let us know what fact you found most interesting and please share this post with your hapori whānui/community.