Sponsored by ARKRAY USA
Managing diabetes is a lifelong job.
Distributor reps can help residents/patients newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes start a lifetime of wellness by introducing them to ARKRAY USA’s complimentary “Living Well with Diabetes Toolkit.” The toolkit is part of the ARKRAY Discharge Program, a series of educational materials and tools designed to help residents/patients make the transition to the next stage of diabetes self-management.
In one convenient kit, patients receive:
- A GLUCOCARD® blood glucose monitoring system. Facilities may offer the GLUCOCARD Expression, which is an audio-enabled meter with a large display and tactile buttons ideal for those with dexterity or visual impairment, or the GLUCOCARD Shine system, which is full-featured, yet easy to use.
- The “Living Well with Diabetes Guide” and “Daily Journal,” designed to give individuals with diabetes the tools needed to make – and monitor – simple lifestyle changes.
- A Pharmacy Locator card, that is, a list and map of local pharmacies where individuals can purchase additional test strips. (For additional convenience for residents/patients, ARKRAY also maintains a partnership with The Diabetes Store, which is a competitive bid winner offering online diabetes supplies.)
Patient satisfaction
StoneGate Senior Living LLC has been disseminating the ARKRAY USA discharge toolkit since the summer of 2017. Since then, the Lewisville, Texas-based provider has seen an increase in resident satisfaction as it relates to the understanding of his or her plan of care, says Diane Sullivan-Slazyk, RN, BSN, MBA, chief clinical officer. In a recent one-year period (March 2017 to March 2018), StoneGate cared for more than 5,400 residents with diabetes. (StoneGate provides support services to senior living and care properties that offer skilled health care, assisted living, memory support and independent living at locations in Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas.)
The discharge kit not only helps the StoneGate team educate newly diagnosed residents but also those who have been diagnosed with diabetes for years and have had insidious elevation in their levels, either because they cannot afford the copay for test strips, do not know how to maneuver insurance, or have not seen a primary care physician for some time, explains Sullivan-Slazyk.
“Changes in lifestyle, such as diet and exercise, do not come easily,” she continues. “The collateral and online support provided by ARKRAY USA is a true benefit. We start education as soon as it has been identified as a diagnosis/need. This allows time for reinforcement of the content and allows for families to also read through the content and ask questions.
“Cost is a huge issue for these residents,” she adds. “The partnership with The Diabetes Store is a great asset.”
Opis Senior Services Group is a relative newcomer to the ARKRAY USA discharge program. But already, the Opis team is seeing results.
“The information is helpful and reassuring to residents when they do get home and are responsible for knowing and doing these things,” says Jennie Rini, RN, BSN, director of clinical services. It can also provide valuable information to those established with diabetes who do not follow a program as carefully as they should, as well as loved ones and caregivers, she adds.
Continuing education
Individuals can enroll in no-cost, web-based programs from ARKRAY USA to continue their education about type 2 diabetes long after discharge. These programs include:
- “ARKRAY Wellness and Support Program,” which builds on “Living Well with Diabetes” by providing people with diabetes and their family members detailed education on diabetes, ways to manage the disease and additional support.
- ARK Care® Advance Diabetes Management program, which is a secure, cloud-based system built on the foundation of simple logbooks and glucose tracking, which translate that information into graphs and charts to easily identify, isolate and record changes within diabetes management. The program is HIPAA/HITECH-compliant and FDA-approved.
ARKRAY USA strives to be the Diabetes Health Ally to all those affected by diabetes. We invite distributor reps to join us in that effort.
To learn more about ARKRAY USA’s “Living Well with Diabetes Toolkit” and our web-based programs, visit the website arkrayusa.com, contact ARKRAY at 800-818-8877, or email info@arkrayusa.com.