Purpose: To raise awareness of diabetes and it’s complications.

• For those who are at risk of developing diabetes, or newly diagnosed
• Learn ways to decrease your risk of developing diabetes
• Learn about services and strategies to help you manage your diabetes

For more Information Contact:
Philina Sky
Kenora Health Access Centre
467 – 8770

Getting an HIV test is just the beginning. A positive test Result gives you the chance to keep ahead of the virus. A negative test result gives you the opportunity to stay that way. Knowing your accurate HIV status through testing is essential to good health and long life.

For more information call 467-8770 ext 239

The team provides information and support for effective health management to facilitate living well with diabetes.

What Is Diabetes?

The pancreas makes insulin to take blood sugar out of the bloodstream and put it into muscle cells, so we have energy to function. When we have diabetes the body does not make or use the insulin properly.

There are three types of diabetes:

• Type 1 diabetes happens when the pancreas doesn’t make insulin;
• Type 2 diabetes happens when the body has trouble using the insulin it makes;
• Gestational diabetes happens when the body can’t use insulin during pregnancy.

Diabetes is a new health issue for Anishinaabe people. Our traditional lifestyle — with lots of physical activity, and traditional foods and medicines — kept us healthy. Sudden lifestyle changes have made Anishinaabe people three to four times more likely to experience Type 2 diabetes than non-Anishinaabe Canadians.

Self management of diabetes can slow or stop the impacts of diabetes such as kidney damage, poor circulation, heart disease, blindness or foot amputations.

Living a healthier lifestyle can give our people a way to delay diabetes, and can help those who have diabetes live healthier lives.

Risk Factors

• age and being overweight (especially in the stomach area)
• family members with diabetes such as mother, father or siblings
• if your mother had gestational diabetes
• if you had a baby over 4 kg (9 lbs)
• if you had gestational diabetes
• high cholesterol and/or high blood pressure
• darker patches of skin around your neck
• schizophrenia
• polycystic ovary syndrome
• impaired glucose tolerance or impaired fasting glucose

What Can I Do To Lower My Risk?

• Eat healthy foods
• Be active every day
• Get annual blood test for
• Manage your stress early identification

What Should I Look For?

Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes. Some people can have diabetes for a long time without knowing it, because the symptoms develop slowly over time. Symptoms include:

• thirsty all the time
• frequent urination
• blurry vision
• unusual weight gain or loss
• cuts or sores that won’t heal
• problems with erections
• recurrent yeast or urinary
• tingling or numb hands and feet tract infections
• tired all the time, especially after eating

If you have any of these signs, see your health care provider and get tested. Finding out early gives you a head start to a healthy lifestyle.

Waasegiizhig Nanaandawe’iyewigamig is committed to promoting self management and empowerment to improve quality of life for people and families living with diabetes. We strive to ensure that people living with diabetes feel supported, involved, and in control of their diabetes. We promote and support bimaatisiwin – having a good, long life.

Services

The Diabetes Team works in collaboration with other primary care team members in a wholistic model of care to offer:

• preventive education
• diabetes education
• insulin adjustments
• nutrition counselling
• regular blood work
• case management
• traditional healing
• retinal screening
• foot care/chiropody services
• dental screening
• medical care

Services are offered in a variety of settings:

• one on one counselling
• group sessions
• couples and family sessions
• community workshops

This position is also responsible for ensuring that the emotional and mental health needs of clients and family members are addressed when dealing with illness, chronic disease, or other issues affecting overall health.

Referrals and group education/ workshops on traditional values, beliefs, spirituality, medicines and healing ceremonies are available on request.

Weekly outreach clinics are offered in most Kenora area communities. Primary health care is available daily at the satellite office in Kenora. The satellite office also offers in-house laboratory services.

In addition to weekly physician visits, primary care and referral within the Registered Nurse scope are available at the Minaki Nursing Station, another of our satellite locations.

Health education and promotion through group education and issue-specific workshops may also be available on request.