Aboriginal Diabetes Initiative
Regional Program Information
For contact information on each program, please see Regional Program Contacts.
Alberta
In the Alberta region, the Regional Diabetes Coordinator oversees the implementation
process and delivery for 46 First Nation community based programs.
The following are some examples of the programs/projects that the Alberta
region has been involved in during 2001-2002:
Care and Treatment:
- SLICK (Screening for Limbs, I-eyes, Cardiovascular, Kidney complications)
provides diabetes screening services to all First Nation Communities. Screening
includes HbgA1C, glucose, lipid profile, micoralbuminuria, albumin/creatinine
ratio, blood pressure, BMI, retinal screening and evaluation, neuropathy
screening.
- Diabetes clinics to provide diabetes one on one counselling, group presentations,
and/or health fairs, etc.
- Foot care and wound care.
- Dietician services by Regional Nutritionist and in partnership with Regional
Health Authorities. Podiatry services on reserve upon referral.
Lifestyle support:
- Community involvement, Leadership involvement, support groups, elders groups,
women groups, peer groups, community kitchens, community gardens, sharing
circles, talking circles, walking trails, exercise programs, gestational
diabetes classes, wellness healing circles, newsletters, Shopping/grocery
tours, budgeting.
Prevention and Promotion Activities:
- Teaching and training for community health staff to provide education to
community members both in the community and in community schools to include:
diet, healthy body weight, activity and lifestyles. Ongoing education to
enforce Canadian Diabetes Association Clinical Practice Guidelines.
- Educational resources (regional resource plan) adapted from Aboriginal
Diabetes Wellness Program (Edmonton) and the Aboriginal Diabetes Prevention
and Management Program (Lethbridge)
- Community health fairs/booths/workshops in communities, schools, day cares,
community Head Start programs.
- Alberta Diabetes Prevention Strategy, Diabetes Nutritional environmental
scan and literature review.
Atlantic
The Atlantic region includes: Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New
Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island.
Examples of programs/projects underway in the Atlantic region include:
- A Diabetes Nurse Coordinator to support 7 Labrador Inuit communities.
- A Health conference focused on Diabetes and Home and Community Care
- Diabetes consultant to support 2 Innu communities of Labrador along with
2 diabetes health workers (one in each community).
- Established a Community Diabetes Advisory Group to facilitate the Diabetes
Prevention Program in the community.
- Diabetes Health Fairs, Walking groups.
- One Diabetes Health Worker attended training at the Kahnewake program.
- Dietician and part-time Registered Nurse to support NFLD. First Nations
community.
- Four Diabetes Community consultants to cover NS, NB and P.E.I. who work
in pairs: one pair covers NS; the other pair covers NB and P.E.I. Work with
Community Health Nurses and Community Health Representatives, school staff,
and with provincial health services/departments; liaise with Home and Community
Care coordinators.
- One shared ADI Admin Assistant for NS, NB and P.E.I. - employed by a First
Nations organization who supports the admin functions of the four ADI community
consultants.
- Training for Band level diabetes workers NS, NB, P.E.I.: 19 community members
/workers trained at Kahnewake
- Diabetes articles written for the Mi'Kmaq Maliseet Newspaper
- Diabetes Resource Binder produced
- Radio interviews and presentations on ADI programs
Manitoba
In the Manitoba region 62 of 63 communities are implementing long term community
diabetes plans in conjunction with the ADI. A regional diabetes coordinator
is in place to coordinate, develop, support and guide evaluation of services
related to the implementation of ADI and Manitoba First Nations Diabetes Committee
(MFNDC) strategy.
Examples of programs/projects in 2001-2002 include:
- Regional nutritionist support for implementation of plans.
- MFNDC & Peer Review Committee to support and assist with implementation
of community and tribal council level work plans; to develop and foster linkages
with Home and Community Care program (HCC), Canada Prenatal Nutrition program;
and the provincial Ministerial Advisory Committee on Diabetes.
- MFNDC Prevention and Promotion, Care and Support sub-committees to identify
traditional resources; research healthy school policies; collaborate with
Manitoba health and Dr. Heather Dean on screening guidelines for children;
develop holistic diabetes care checklist.
- One day train the trainer Diabetes Facilitators Guide training workshop.
- Traditional Approaches to Diabetes Workshop.
- Nurse-In-Charge Diabetes Risk Factor Assessment Training (in collaboration
with Manitoba Health).
- Provided sponsorship for 5 diabetes workers to attend an intensive one
week diabetes worker training.
- Development of a Diabetes/HCC Principles of Linkage document.
Northern Secretariat
The Northern Secretariat is the region that coordinates the ADI in the Territories.
This is done in partnership with the Territorial governments.
Yukon
In the Yukon the ADI is reaching all 14 First Nation communities. Programming
in the Yukon for 2001-2002 included:
- Developing and modifying a screening tool to assist in identifying and
monitoring diabetes status.
- Media awareness campaign done locally in communities focusing on health
choices and active living.
- Kwanlin Dun First Nation developed a series of diabetes related media spots
to promote awareness.
- A diabetes educator was hired to provide support to all communities and
to deliver community kitchen programs.
- Community based programs including activities such as: workshops, foot
care programs, walking programs, school essay contests, train the trainer
workshops, individual and family support programs, cooking classes, traditional
food gathering, health conferences, healthy lunch and active living programs,
Elder and home visits, traditional foods workshops, diabetes awareness day.
Nunavut
In Nunavut an ADI Activity Coordinator helps to coordinate programming. In
2001-2002 activities included:
- Training for the coordinator through the NWT Diabetes Centre.
- Nunavut wide workshop in Iqualuit March 9-11 2002 with representation from
16 communities.
- Regional round table meetings with communities to develop a plan of action
for each community.
- Translation of "what is diabetes" supplied to Community Health Representatives.
- Provision of teaching materials for community staff.
- Raise awareness through development and distribution of media products
(posters, television and community radio).
- Training in care of people with diabetes for Home and community care workers
and development of materials for use by nursing staff.
- Distribution of existing resource materials for use by all community health
centres.
Northwest Territories
In 2001-2002 the Northwest Territories (NWT) plan looked to increasing accessibility
to diabetes services to all 33 communities in the NWT.
Activities included:
- Enhancing diabetic education services in Stanton Regional Health Board.
- Enhancing the Diabetes Education Program at the Inuvik Regional Health
and Social Services board.
- Community based "mini-clinics" to cover various communities in accordance
with the Clinical Practice Guidelines for diabetes.
- Practical Diabetes Management Multi-disciplinary training for health workers.
- Coaching/mentoring staff in diabetes management techniques.
- Advanced foot care training.
- Pilot diabetes screening programs and Point-of-care HbA1C micro-albumin
meters in various NWT communities.
- Community diabetes Awareness workshops, and Health and Wellness Fairs,
in-patient and outpatient diabetes education.
- Diabetes cooking circles, foot massage clinics.
- Developing culturally specific diabetes education resource tools. (i.e.
posters, brochure, etc.).
Ontario
In the Ontario region, 134 First Nations receive access to ADI activities
through the implementation of 26 diabetes projects which have been approved
in accordance with a First Nations approved process.
In 2001-2002 the project plans included:
- Workshops, conferences
- resource centers in communities
- teen exercise rooms, youth fitness
- school presentations & programs
- training programs
- fitness and nutrition promotion
- youth health fairs
- improved access to fitness centers
- poster contests
- foot care clinics
- screening clinics
- prevention/promotion materials
- junior & community kitchens
- cooking courses
- hiring diabetes workers, educators
- lifestyle support programs
- development of information kits
- smoking cessation programs
- self-care complications awareness
- Wampum Belt Journey (Six Nations to Oneida)
Pacific
In the Pacific region 2 regional level diabetes coordinators are in place
(one at First Nations and Inuit Health Branch and one at the Chiefs Health
committee) to coordinate the ADI program for all First Nation communities and
provide program support.
Examples of the programs/projects that were implemented in 2001-2002 include:
- A traveling retinopathy screening program which was expanded to include
a diabetes nurse-educator, and a CNIB Vision rehabilitation specialist.
- The development of the diabetes self-management manual for all First Nations.
- A 2 to 3 day training program (to train 100 participants) on a self-care
manual and diabetes resource packages.
- Community based proposal driven process which resulted in 50 community
based projects being approved to cover 125 communities.
- Regional level prevention and promotion resources/activities: quarterly
newsletter.
- A special fund to promote community involvement in diabetes month.
Quebec
In the Quebec region, community funding based on the submission and approval
of ADI work plans is in place in 14 Inuit communities, 9 Cree communities,
and 30/31 First Nations communities. A diabetes technical coordinator at the
First Nations of Quebec and Labrador Health and Social Services Commission
(FNQLHSSC) provides support to all the First Nations communities represented
by the FNQLHSSC.
Activities and programs in place in the Quebec region include:
- Traditional native healing workshop, diabetes/healthy living workshops,
conferences, roadblocks, theatre pieces, community gardens, school programs,
breakfast programs, home exercise programs, healthy lifestyles promotion,
foot care clinics, screening clinics, prevention/promotion materials, community
kitchens, cooking courses, hiring diabetes workers, educators.
- Promotion of the manual "Empowering Words of First Nations Women/Paroles
et pouvoir de femmes", a culturally appropriate diabetes resource
tool.
- Production of articles on diabetes for inclusion in the "Rising Sun" newsletter.
- Establishing linkages with the Home and Community care program.
- Ensuring all resources and services available in both official languages.
- Presentation at the January 2002 National Aboriginal Diabetes Association
conference examining the emphasis placed on diabetes prevention/health promotion
initiatives in the region as well as the types of activities.
Saskatchewan
In the Saskatchewan region, 20 ADI work plans are in place which cover 72
First Nation communities under 8 tribal councils. In addition to this, the
Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN) works with 9 non-aligned First
Nations on implementing the ADI in those communities.
Activities/Programs in place in the Saskatchewan region include:
- The development of a coordinated diabetes awareness campaign.
- Workshops on healthy living.
- Developing a Diabetes Mentorship program in partnership with the province
to teach care providers how to provide support to those living with diabetes.
- Assisting communities in developing prevention programs such as safe walking
paths, 100 mile club, increase access to fitness equipment, community kitchens,
exercise clubs.
- Developing a set of Diabetes Program Guidelines.
- Developing a portable display on "Cost of Diabetes" that can travel to
each community.
- Developing earlier access to screening for diabetes, and complications
screening.
- School education programs, workshops, logo contests, healthy snack programs,
no junk food days, healthy eating policies.
- Intra sectoral work to foster acceptance and adherence to the 1998 Clinical
Practice Guidelines for diabetes.
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