Self-Management Education

patient attends the self management diabetes class

Virtual and in-person classes

Diabetes self-management education classes are 90-minute sessions.

View / download program details

Candidates for group classes include:

  • Patients newly diagnosed with diabetes
  • Patients with a diabetes diagnosis but no prior education
  • Patients who need a refresher due to outdated information or a change in their treatment status
  • Patients with no barriers to group participation (i.e. language and visual or hearing impairment)
  • Please call 978.825.6505 to register

Class 1: On the road to better managing diabetes

  • Basic diabetes facts and myths
  • Causes of high and low blood sugar
  • How diabetes is managed – diet, exercise & medications
  • Types of medications and insulin used to treat diabetes

Class 2: Diabetes and eating healthy

  • How eating habits affect blood glucose
  • Meal planning
  • Nutrition label reading

Class 3: Monitoring blood glucose

  • Why monitor blood glucose and general targets
  • Signs of high and low blood sugar, and how to prevent them
  • How to interpret self blood glucose monitoring results 
  • Reducing the risk of complications
  • Setting SMART goals
  • The progression of diabetes