Diabetes Management in Aiken, SC

Diabetes, gestational diabetes, insulin resistance, impaired glucose tolerance or pre-diabetes are examples of terms many patients hear in their physician’s office. Any of these diagnoses can lead to serious health problems if left unattended and blood sugar is not controlled. Blindness, heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, and amputations are major complications that can affect your body if blood sugars are left to control your health.

While there is no cure for diabetes, these complications can be prevented with proper attention to nutrition, exercise, stress management and using an accredited self-management education program.

Diabetes and Nutrition Teaching Center

The Diabetes and Nutrition Teaching Center of Aiken Regional Medical Centers was the first diabetes education program in the Central Savannah River Area to receive recognition by the American Diabetes Association^®. By using advanced treatment options, the team of experienced and professional staff members assists in the management of diabetes and your overall health.

Adults and pediatric patients receive interdisciplinary care provided by a team who specializes in the treatment of diabetics. Certified Diabetic Educators, Registered Nurses, Registered Dietitians and various support personnel attend to your specific Diabetic needs. 

Patients undergo a personalized health needs assessment and a self-care plan, which includes nutritional education, disease-specific self-management sessions and constant reinforcement through personal patient contact. Diabetes management is not limited to outpatient care. A team approach of inpatient education and patient-specific case management is performed if the situation arises for a hospital stay.

Technologies to Aid Your Progress

The Diabetes and Nutrition Teaching Center has an advanced approach that includes, but is not limited to, personalized patient-specific care plans and an enhanced diabetes data management system. Each of these tools allows you, the patient, the opportunity to develop the skills necessary to take control of your diabetes, instead of it controlling you.

Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes and Nutrition Services

The Diabetes and Nutrition Teaching Center is here to help parents meet their children's nutrition and weight-management goals at any age or stage. Our nationally certified Registered Dietitians offer one-on-one counseling and individualized plans for:

• Weight-loss management
• Nutrition for teen athletes
• Food allergies
• High cholesterol and/or triglycerides
• High blood pressure
• Healthy eating through stages of growth
• Poor growth/failure to thrive
• Disease-specific nutritional management and prevention

The physician-referred program uses a comprehensive approach to help your child meet personal health goals, including:

• Collaboration with local school systems
• Promotion of exercise regimens
• Building self-esteem through goal setting for a healthy lifestyle
• Consideration of cultural variances
• Consideration of financial constraints

Weight Loss and Nutritional Counseling

The Diabetes and Nutrition Teaching Center also offers individuals who do not have diabetes, but other special needs, a source of one-on-one, patient-specific nutritional counseling. Hypertension, weight loss, food allergies, wound healing, pre-gastric bypass evaluation and cholesterol management are only a few of the areas where specialized nutritional counseling is needed to assist with a long and healthy life.

Nutritional assessment and counseling is performed by using certified personnel in developing an individualized plan of care for your specific health need.

Within the Diabetes and Nutrition Teaching Center, specialized equipment is used to assess an individual’s resting metabolic rate. By using the patient's findings, a highly accurate means of nutritional intervention can be established which gives the patient and his or her care team coordinator the tools necessary for reaching their personal health care goal.