Diabetes Community Expo happening in Waverly

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PIKE COUNTY — With the objective to equip those with diabetes with tools to live healthier, Adena Health System will hold a Diabetes Community Expo (DCE) : Empowering You to Live Well in Waverly on Saturday, March 12 from 8 a.m. – 1:45 p.m. at the Pike County YMCA, 400 Pride Drive in Waverly. DCE is free and open to the public.

Kim Jones, Community Health Director at Adena, said the DCE was in great demand to be held in Pike County.

“We are organizing our second Diabetes Expo. The first that we held was in November in Chillicothe, and due to the response there, we had a great demand for it in Pike County so we’re going to our second one in Waverly on March 12th at the YMCA,” Jones said. “Diabetes has been on the rise over the last 10 to 20 years here in our region, and we have quite a few people that we serve through the Adena Health System. We probably have patients from about 12 different counties within the Southern Ohio region. Because we have so many of them that do have the disease, working with them every day we find that there are a lot of pieces of information that they are in need of to help them manage the disease successfully.”

The DCE gives those living with diabetes and their family members the information and tools they need to live their healthiest life by controlling this disease. Experts and health professionals will be discussing managing their disease, identifying affordable ways to grocery shop for a diabetic diet, and suggestions for diabetic-friendly cuisine when dining out.

“A lot of people do really struggle with that, you have to learn how to eat differently, get activity into your routine, and a lot of different things,”she said. “Providing some resources and education for them are those things that are available just in their every day schemes of things verses things that might also be available in the community to help them. “

Jones said the DCE is a collaborative effort between Adena and others in the local community.

“This isn’t just Adena specific. We have partnered with other people in the community that have experience and information to share as well,” she said. “We have certified nurse practitioner who will be doing an overview of managing your condition. We are partnering also with Tom Bartley who owns Bartley Pharmacy there in Waverly, He is going to talk a little bit about some of the questions people often have about medication, what does insurance cover, generic versus name brand, just a lot of things that people want information about.”

They also partnering with the Pike County Extension Office, and their ‘Dining With Diabetes Program, so they are actually going to do a cooking demonstration for us, and will share some recipes. Representation from the Pike Healthy Lifestyle Initiative will be present to talk about grocery shopping, and how to purchase items that are conducive to healthy eating habits, and how to eat healthy on a budget.

The DCE is open to everyone, and families are encouraged to come and participate.

“The Expo is open to anybody of any age, and all family members as well, because when one person in the family has diabetes family support is important especially concerning how you eat because it can be tempting at times,” she said.

There will also be a raffle for prizes including a Fitbit activity monitor, a food scale, and a YMCA membership.

The expo is free and open to the public, but an RSVP is required. To register for Adena’s Diabetes Community Expo, call 740-542-EXPO (3976) by March 4, or go to www.adena.org/meded.

By Portia Williams

[email protected]

Reach Portia Williams at 740-353-3101, ext. 1929, or on Twitter @PortiaWillPDT.

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