The first thing to remember when educating a patient with diabetes is to educate them about the condition. Occasionally, a patient's first reaction can be panic, feeling lost, frightened, or confused. It's important to reassure them that if managed properly, people with diabetes can live a long and productive life.
The second is to begin to encourage them to change habits and focus on a healthier lifestyle while also taking advantage of diabetes education teaching tools.
Understand the patients' lifestyle. The better one understands the patients' lifestyle the better they can be educated.
Create and plan to help understand what will work and what will not for the patient during their lifestyle change.
Encourage patients to take it one day at a time, and not all at once.
Printed materials and books are excellent references for both educators and patients alike.
Diet journals, exercise trackers, blood sugar logs, medication logs, and portion control assistance are equally essential in educating patients.