Diabetes Alert Day

The American Diabetes Association Alert Day serves as an educational opportunity for healthcare professionals to engage residents and their families in diabetes awareness and behavior change.

The association's website offers a free risk test that uses seven questions to generate a ballpark score of low or high risk. The simple questions use known factors that contribute to the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, such as race, gender, family history of diabetes, high blood pressure and low exercise levels.

The association bills the day as a "wake-up call" for people who may not realize how their risk factors have accumulated over the years, or how individual factors affect overall risk. Caregivers and activities directors can use the day as a kickoff to new weekly or daily activities to engage residents in beter nutrition choices and better exercise levels.

The diabetes risk information, posters and other resident education materials are available in English, Spanish and several Native American languages.

Pamela Tabar

Pamela Tabar was editor-in-chief of I Advance Senior Care from 2013-2018. She has worked as a writer and editor for healthcare business media since 1998, including as News Editor of Healthcare Informatics. She has a master’s degree in journalism from Kent State University and a master’s degree in English from the University of York, England.