Urban Low Income Diabetes Project: A Partnership with Regina and Saskatoon Food Banks
In 2010, the Canadian Diabetes Association in Saskatchewan will partner with the Regina and District Food Bank and the Saskatoon Food Bank and Learning Centre to help low income people with diabetes.
Through the screening of food bank clients, the Urban Low Income Diabetes Project will identify low-income individuals at risk of diabetes and prediabetes. On-site diabetes educators will provide blood glucose testing, and also offer education and advice on diabetes prevention, care and management.
Those food bank clients ultimately diagnosed with diabetes or prediabetes will be invited to join a “LiveWell with Chronic Conditions” session, organized especially for low-income individuals. This course provides support for independent self-management and practical suggestions for coping with diabetes on a restricted income.
While the LiveWell program (offered by the Regina and Saskatoon Health Regions) receives excellent reviews from those who complete the program, attendance and completion are often an issue among low-income clients. With funding from the Public Health Agency of Canada, this project provides ongoing community support and incentives for food bank clients who participate in the program, in order to encourage their completion.
“We hope that some participants may go on to become volunteers, peer leaders and mentors for others affected by diabetes,” says Lori Latta, Manager of Public Programs for the Canadian Diabetes Association in Saskatchewan.
The Association’s role in this initiative is to broker partnerships between the food banks and diabetes professionals, provide resources and assistance to diabetes educators working in the food banks, and help promote the program through other community partnerships and public activities, encouraging participation.
If you have questions about this special initiative, or have an interest in getting involved with your Canadian Diabetes Association in Saskatchewan, please call Lori at 306-306-584-8445, x. 224
A recent study (Rabi et al., 2006) offers considerable evidence that poverty may be associated with several cardiovascular risk factors including diabetes. Diabetes may be up to two more times prevalent in low income populations compared to wealthy populations. In patients with diabetes, low income is associated with an increased rate of hospitalization for acute diabetes-related complications.