Westerly - The Westerly Hospital will offer a five-week course beginning in May to help patients gain practical knowledge and skills needed to manage diabetes successfully.

The course will be taught by a team of dieticians, nurses, and pharmacists of The Westerly Hospital who are all certified diabetes outpatient educators. The Hospital’s diabetes program recently became accredited by the American Association of Diabetes Educators. 

The course will cover the fundamentals of nutritional management, label reading, meal planning options, guidelines for eating out and special occasions, glucose monitoring, medication management, insulin treatment and administration, sick-day care, foot care, exercise, stress management, and preventing complications. With a physician’s referral, many health insurers cover the cost of these sessions. Those interested in attending should check with their insurance provider.

Classes will meet every Monday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. beginning May 20 through June 24 in the Henry J. Nardone Conference Center at The Westerly Hospital. There will not be a class on May 27. Class size is limited. For information and to register, call (401) 348-3533 or (800) 933-5960 ext. 3533, or send an email to: diabetes@westerlyhospital.org. 

The hospital also offers individual, one-on-one instruction with a certified diabetes outpatient educator available by appointment by calling (401) 348-3533 or (800) 933-5960, ext. 3533.