* Cultural Warning

People of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent should be aware that the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service website may contain images and names of people who are deceased or images of places that could cause sorrow.

MEDICAL

DIABETES SERVICE

At VAHS, the Aboriginal Health Workers, Diabetes Eductor and Dietitian walk with you and your family on your journey living with Diabetes. Being there with you and working at your pace. Some of the things that the team can help you with including easy to understand explanations of what is happening in your body, checking blood sugar/glucose levels, taking the right medicines, making insulin easier, choosing healthy tucker that you will like to eat, looking after your feet.

The team are the mob who helps you to understand what the doctors are talking about, and what to expect when visiting a specialist. We can help you keep your family strong by identifying who might be at risk of diabetes in your family and walk with them to avoid diabetes.

Diabetes is a condition that will be with you for your lifetime, but by looking after yourself you will be strong and healthy for years to come. Which means you'll be strong for your mob and be able to look after your kids and your grandkids!

DIETITIANS & NUTRITIONISTS

Dietitians and Nutritionists are people who recognise the link between what you eat, your lifestyle, your health conditions and your wellbeing. They are able to help you make the best food and drink choices for to promote your health and wellbeing. Together we can tailor your foods to best meet your health needs, such as healthy weight, managing diabetes or healthy pregnancy.

They can help you monitor and manage:

  • Diabetes
  • Weight loss
  • High blood pressure
  • High cholesterol
  • Weight gain
  • Stroke
  • Stomach and intestinal complaints
  • Heart failure
  • Rehabilitation after heart attack
  • Failure to thrive
  • Eating disorders
  • Childhood overweight/obesity
  • Kidney and liver conditions
  • Constipation/diarrhoea
  • Aneamia, and other deficiencies
  • Muscle gain
  • Infant/Toddler feeding
  • Eating during Pregnancy

CREDENTIALED DIABETES EDUCATOR

A diagnosis of diabetes can be frightening and feel a bit like being on a roller coaster. Support and from the beginning is very important to smooth the journey.

A Diabetes Educator works with a person to:

  • assist them to understand their personal health risks
  • assist them to know what these risks could mean to them in the future if lifestyle changes are not made
  • help people to make a plan to look after themselves so they can reach their best health
  • how to self test, using a glucose monitor and how to understand these readings and what they can do to improve them

Other areas are

  • overcome the barriers to lifestyle changes and physical activity
  • medication management including insulin
  • helping with problem solving
  • reducing risks of complications
  • and help with healthy coping
  • The Diabetes Educator works closely with the Health workers the Allied Health team, and Doctors