Chronic Disease Management
Manage your diabetes with support that’s tailored specifically to your needs with our Chronic Disease Management Team. Our caring and expert team provide education, disease management, reviews, monitoring and coordinated treatment across services.
Our aim is to improve your self-management skills and your quality of life while preventing or minimising the effects of diabetes.
Services
Education
Our Credentialled Diabetes Educators (CDEs) have tertiary and post-graduate training and experience in diabetes education and management. A CDE supports a person with diabetes to develop the knowledge and skills to manage their own condition. They can:
- Help people live well with diabetes
- Minimise the impact of diabetes on their lives
- Reduce the risk of developing diabetes-related complications
- Set up and manage continuous glucose or flash glucose management systems.
It’s a good idea to see a CDE in the following circumstances:
- When first diagnosed with diabetes
- When your medication changes
- Regularly as part of your ongoing care
- When you think you need some help.
- When you are experiencing or planning a change in your life that may affect your diabetes, such as pregnancy or a new health condition
- When you just want to get back on track with your health.
Clinic
Our Community Diabetes Clinic for adults with Type 2 diabetes provides short term or interim medical management. The clinic is supported by the Bendigo Health Endocrinology Clinic and can provide an interim service for people with Type 2 diabetes on the waiting list.
There is currently no wait list for our Community Diabetes Clinic, and it is staffed by a Bendigo Community Health Services senior medical officer and a CDE.
Accessing the service
The chronic disease management program provides diabetes education and care to adults with newly-diagnosed or pre-existing diabetes.
Please note: Pregnant women and children are advised to seek a hospital referral, and newly-diagnosed diabetics who are acutely unwell must present to the Emergency Department.
Referrals to our clinic must contain the following to be considered:
- Contact details and reason for referral
- Medical history
- Current medication list
- Diagnostic pathology (new diabetes)
- Results of recent cholesterol and kidney function tests
- Recent HbA1c
- Any other relevant information
Please let us know in advance if you need an interpreter or assistance for a disability or other reason. We will do our best to accommodate them.
All of our chronic disease staff hold registrations with Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).
Appointments are $15 per visit.
If you have any difficulties paying the fee please discuss this with us.
No/low-cost dietetics services are available to people with diabetes, as well as podiatry, exercise physiology, counselling, alcohol and other drugs, and other services’ clients. We will seek client consent prior to making referrals.
Medicare bulk billing is available when there is an allocation of visit(s) attached to a GP management plan in the referral.
- Diabetes medicines
- Blood Glucose Record Book
- Blood Glucose Meter
- You are welcome to bring a supportive family member or friend
- Some food if your appointment might be near your usual mealtime or snack time and you haven’t eaten, as some appointments may be an hour or more.
Our service currently operates from Monday to Friday out of the central Bendigo site at 165-171 Hargreaves Street.
We can provide some of our reviews via our Telehealth Clinic to eligible clients, please discuss with your diabetes educator if you’re interested.
Make an appointment by calling (03) 5406 1200.
