Pediatric News

Upcoming Events

The next class for caregivers of children with diabetes will be on Thursday, 6/28/12 from 6:30pm-8:30pm

Cuidando a los Niños con Diabetes, clase enseñada en español: lunes, 21 de mayo 6:30pm-8:30pm

Caring for Caregivers

Margie Lawlor, MS, CDE has been the Coordinator of Pediatric Research and Education at Joslin for almost twenty years. The creation of the new class Caring for Children with Diabetes: A class for caregivers of young children is the realization of a dream she has had since before she started working at Joslin: to provide caregivers with education on the care of young children with diabetes. In this interview, she discusses why it is so important to educate day care providers, teachers, neighbors, grandparents, relatives, etc.

Can you talk about your own experience as a caregiver?
I spent 16 years as an early childhood educator. I started working in a preschool in 1974 while I was a student at Purdue. Then, I worked at a vocational high school where I was both a high school and a preschool teacher. I taught the highschoolers about early childhood education in the morning, then the preschoolers would come in the afternoons. In the early 1980’s, we switched to a daycare format, caring for 15-month-olds to 5-year-olds. I became the director in the second year of the daycare program. We had about 35 children enrolled and 4 staff, and we operated from 7am to 6pm. The switch from preschool to daycare reflected what was happening in early childhood at the time. More women were working and needing a place for their children to spend the entire day. So, I learned very early how much care young children need, in general, and, in particular, if they have diabetes.
What are the biggest challenges involved in caring for a child with diabetes in a daycare center?
At a young age, children don’t know how, or aren’t yet able, to do things for themselves. They can’t tell you if they are feeling low. The child-to-staff ratios are already tight, and when you add a child who requires extra attention due to diabetes or another condition, it becomes more difficult. Schools have nurses, but very few daycares do. For many daycare providers, caring for children with diabetes is new, but as the number of young children developing type 1 diabetes is rising, we’re seeing more preschoolers in daycare settings who need help and support.
Why did you want to create a diabetes class specifically for caregivers?
I started asking my friends in the field of early childcare how comfortable they would feel caring for a child with diabetes. They thought I was out of my mind. I realized that daycare providers needed support and education, that they were afraid to care for a child with diabetes. With education, we can reduce the fear and anxiety and make the environment safer for the child.
What topics do you address in the class?
The class looks at management cornerstones, including meal planning, insulin, and physical activity. I wanted a class designed for people without medical backgrounds. The focus is on type 1 diabetes. We’ve also made this class very approachable for grandparents, friends, and family members.
Who do you recommend should take this class?
Anyone who deals with children with diabetes: childcare providers, grandparents, other family members, friends, after-school program providers, etc. Even though the class has a focus on the needs of younger children, the basics of the class are applicable to a child of any age. We will also be offering the class in Spanish. This could be helpful because diabetes presents a new vocabulary and concepts.
What do you hope people will get out of taking this class?
The classes should provide knowledge and offer comfort to those caring for kids with diabetes. Basic definitions of diabetes, an introduction to some of the treatment tools, a diabetes medical management plan, and carb counting are covered. We are also hoping that we will encourage discussion between caregivers and parents about care for the child. Because each child is so unique, we do not teach specific techniques in this class; we recommend that parents show caregivers how to perform diabetes tasks specifically for their child. For some people, attending the class validates what they already know, for others it is their first education on the topic. But from whatever level of previous diabetes education, feedback on this class has been overwhelmingly positive.
-Georgia Feuer, BA

To learn more about the class Caring for Children with Diabetes, click on this link

Below are .pdfs of some of our past newsletters:

• Winter 2011-2012
• Fall 2011
• Summer 2011
• Spring 2011
• Winter 2010-2011
• Fall 2010
• Spring 2010
• Spring/Summer 2009