Rural New Hampshire hospital helps patients manage or prevent diabetes

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1 in 3 adults have prediabetes, and more than 8 in 10 of them don’t know they have it. Type 2 diabetes is a common condition that has serious consequences, including increasing a person’s risk of heart attack, stroke, blindness, kidney failure, and loss of toes, feet or legs. But diabetes can be prevented or delayed.

Huggins Hospital, a small rural hospital in New Hampshire, offers a comprehensive diabetes education program, bolstered by nutrition services and designed to help individuals manage or prevent diabetes.

The program includes:

• Individual sessions, by appointment, to set goals, understand nutrition, manage blood glucose, and learn about medications and devices.
• Group classes for individuals with type 2 diabetes and prediabetes.
• Support groups that meet bimonthly for ongoing encouragement and shared experiences.
• Diabetes self-management classes, a four-part series focused on lifestyle modifications and peer support.
• Diabetes Skills, a class offered throughout the year on a variety of topics.
• Healthy Living Group, a CDC National Diabetes Prevention Program; free for eligible participants, it aims to prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes.

These diabetes educational offerings, accredited by the Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists, are available at Huggins Hospital and its physician practice locations. The hospital’s Nutrition Services Department provides additional support for patients.

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