Index of What We Do
Pretoria Branch offers the following services to the community:
1. Telephone counselling and support
2. Email counselling and support
3. 1-on-1 Counseling and support
4. Educational and motivational presentations
5. Visits to the sick
6. Newsletter
7. Posting service
8. Things for sale at our office
9. Distribution of educational literature and material
10. Support to clinics and hospitals
11. Training
12. Recycling of second hand blood glucose meters
13. Visits to underprivileged areas
14. Sponsored blood glucose meters to underprivileged diabetics
15. Corporate wellness days
16. Government departments and advocacy
17. Kids & Care
18. Medical conferences
19. Database of diabetics
20. Diabetes focus magazine
21. Children’s camps and family picnics
22. Diabetes awareness
23. Networking
24. Support groups
1. Telephone counseling and support
The branch offers telephone counseling and support to all people in need. Anyone can contact the branch during office hours. There are also two counselors available on a voluntary basis that the branch uses to assist with intensive counseling.
2. E-mail counseling and support
We receive large quantities of emails every day from diabetics as well as other persons needing information, counseling and support.
3. 1-on-1 Counseling and support
Diabetics can visit our office on an appointment base where they can receive information, education and counseling on a 1-on-1 level. Usually at these sessions we hand out diabetes literature to assist diabetics to cope with their condition. This service is offered free of charge.
4. Educational and motivational presentations
We are often invited to address members of the public on diabetes related matters. We receive no remuneration for this service.
5. Visits to the sick
Our volunteers often visit diabetics who are battling at home or in hospital. Literature is being given to patients during these visits.
6. Newsletter
Pretoria Branch sends out a monthly e-mail newsletter to diabetics, medical professionals and other parties interested in receiving our newsletter.
7. Posting service
When diabetics phone our office for information, info-packs are sent to them through the post.
8. Things for sale at our office
As an added service we have a small amount of recipe books available at our office which diabetics can come and purchase from us. We buy the books directly from the publishers at cost price and add only a small mark-up to be able to cover costs.
9. Distribution of educational literature and material
We receive our literature and posters from our national office that prints educational material from sponsorships that they receive. We have some information brochures on healthy eating, what is diabetes and some illustrated booklets in various languages for the illiterate. Our membership forms are distributed amongst pharmacies, clinics, hospitals, doctors and any other medical professionals. These membership forms enable the diabetics to receive our national diabetes focus magazine. Pretoria branch also has some contact points for literature where diabetics can fetch some educational material.
10. Support to clinics and hospitals
We provide support to many state hospitals and clinics in the form of support groups and educational literature and posters. We work very closely with the Dept of Health Pretoria.
11. Training
We are involved in various areas of training. We organize training workshops on how to start a support group and how to sustain a group. The Dept of Health in Pretoria makes use of our training skills and we have trained many health workers from the various clinics and hospitals in Pretoria. We also organize training workshops for people with diabetes. At these workshops they are educated on all the aspects of diabetes.
12. Recycling of second hand blood glucose meters
We are always in great need of second hand blood glucose meters for diabetics who desperately need meters who cannot afford to buy it themselves. We take in second hand meters and re-distribute them to persons in need.
13. Visits to underprivileged areas
Pretoria branch provides educational material, education sessions and counseling for people with diabetes, including those from the extremely low income areas. It is expected that through the providing of information to these persons that it will be possible to have a direct and positive effect on the well-being of the community. We visit the poorer areas regularly and assist where possible for us to do so.
14. Sponsored blood glucose meters to underprivileged diabetics
Many of the Pharmaceutical Companies are so kind to provide us with sponsored blood glucose meters, which we hand out to underprivileged diabetics who cannot afford to buy their own testing meters.
15. Corporate wellness days
The medical aid schemes often organize corporate wellness days for large companies and we get invited to set up a diabetes information table at these days.
16. Government departments and advocacy
We work very closely with various national state departments. We support them with many wellness days and support groups.
17. Kids & Care
Our branch chairperson, Mariaan Marais, serves on the management committee of Kids and Care SA – a non profit, non government organization looking at the well-being of diabetes children in SA. Kids and care produced various books for parents and children with diabetes as well as a DVD and book for school teachers on diabetes.
18. Medical conferences
Our branch chairperson always tries to attend as many medical conferences as possible. The attendance of these conferences all depends on whether the branch can find a sponsorship for her to pay for her conference fee.
19. Database of diabetics
Our branch keeps the following database updated:
Database for adults with diabetes
Database for children with diabetes
20. Diabetes focus magazine
The diabetes focus magazine is sent out to diabetics (who paid their membership fee of R80-00 per year) on a 3 monthly basis. Our branch supports this national magazine with finding advertisers, sending important diabetes news, articles and stories for them to publish.
21. Children’s camps and family picnics
Our branch held children’s camps for the past number of years. A decision was taken by our management committee to continue with the hosting of camps. We usually find sponsorships for children from state hospitals and clinics to make it possible for them to attend the camps.
22. Diabetes awareness
Diabetes awareness is one of our main objectives. Every year during diabetes awareness week we are involved in many events to create diabetes awareness amongst the members of the public. During the rest of the year we are involved in many other diabetes awareness campaigns. We don’t leave diabetes awareness only for diabetes week.
23. Networking
The key to the success of our branch is networking. We work closely with other non-profit organizations e.g. CANSA, SA Council for the Blind, Buro for the prevention of blindness, Lions Clubs, Retina SA, Hospice etc. We receive wonderful support from the representatives from the various pharmaceutical companies as well as food companies etc that manufacture diabetes products.
24. Support groups
Pretoria branch currently has various support groups. The support groups give support to people with diabetes, their family members and in some cases their friends. This is a great way for people with diabetes to make new friends with the same condition as they have. At the group meetings they receive up to date information, news and literature on diabetes. Guest speakers are also invited to provide information on various diabetes related issues. The 20’Something coffee club sees to the needs of diabetics between the ages of 19 and 35 years. Most of the groups are built around a clinic/hospital/doctor. The reason for this is to ensure that the correct information is given out at group meetings.
|
