The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP), a joint Federal program of the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, announced the newly updated “The Power to Control Diabetes Is in Your Hands” awareness campaign for older adults with diabetes. The goal of the campaign is to help the 18.3 percent of adults age 60 and older with diabetes manage their disease. The highlights include a community action kit and a brochure designed to reach older adults with diabetes and their loved ones.

Although diabetes and its complications occur in people of all ages and racial and ethnic groups, older adults are more commonly affected, and many older adults with diabetes are on fixed incomes that make it difficult for them to follow all recommended self-care routines. “Older adults may find the cost of supplies and services needed to control their diabetes overwhelming,” said Griffin Rodgers, M.D., Deputy Director of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) at NIH. “Through the Power to Control campaign, we can effectively teach older adults with diabetes that the complications from diabetes can be prevented or delayed. Through the campaign we can also inform older adults how to access the Medicare benefits that can help cover the cost of supplies and services that can help control their disease, and ultimately, improve the quality of their lives.”

The Power to Control Diabetes Is in Your Hands community action kit is a comprehensive resource designed to assist community organizations in helping their older adult members living with diabetes learn how to manage the disease and live longer, healthier lives. Tips and materials in this kit include diabetes information; resource lists; ideas to promote diabetes awareness, education, and control; and marketing materials to promote the campaign. In addition, the community kit includes a clear and comprehensive Power to Control brochure about diabetes and related Medicare benefits that can also be used independently for older adults living with diabetes and their loved ones. This brochure, available in English and Spanish, focuses on the importance of a comprehensive approach to controlling diabetes by managing blood glucose (blood sugar), blood pressure, and cholesterol; taking prescribed medicines; making healthy lifestyle choices; and accessing Medicare benefits.

The NDEP will launch this updated “The Power to Control Your Diabetes Is in Your Hands” awareness campaign at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, October 20 at the Ft. Stevens Recreational Center in northwest D.C. The program will include:

• Griffin Rodgers, M.D., Deputy Director of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) at NIH
  
  
• Benjamin McCottry, Program Director of Senior Services, D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation
  
  
• Donna Dunston, Project Director, Barney Neighborhood House
  
  
• Carolyn Leontos, M.S., R.D., C.D.E., chair of the NDEP’s Older Adults Work Group
  
  
• Louis Jones, Site Manager, Ft. Stevens Recreational Center
  
  
• Lark McCarthy, Anchor, Fox 5 Morning News

“The District of Columbia Department of Parks and Recreation is proud to be the host for the NDEP event,” said Kimberly Flowers, Acting Director, DC Department of Parks and Recreation. “It is ideal that we bring this information to seniors at the Ft. Stevens Recreational Center. I am sure many people will benefit from this valuable campaign.”

For more information about the NDEP and to obtain free copies of the Power to Control brochure and community action kit, visit the NDEP at www.ndep.nih.gov or call 1-800-438-5383.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) — The Nation's Medical Research Agency — includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary Federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit http://www.nih.gov.