Support to thrive while living with Type 1 Diabetes, thanks to new education program.
July 10, 2023, Perth: “I wish I knew that” is a phrase heard far too often from people living with type 1 diabetes. An autoimmune disease, type 1 can strike anyone, at any time. And there is no cure.
Living with type 1 is akin to a full-time job, yet the condition is not well understood by the public – often being confused with far more common type 2 diabetes. But they are entirely different diseases. And over 13,000 West Australians live with type 1; and will do every day for the rest of their lives.
Yet despite the challenge, people with type 1 can live a long, healthy, and productive life. That is the belief of the Type 1 Diabetes Family Centre, a unique, community-based support hub for people impacted by type 1. In July 2023, the Perth based centre launched a life-changing online education course, to make their belief a reality.
Type 1 Essentials presents 12 unique online learning modules, developed by people living with type 1, for people living with type 1. The course arms people with type 1 with knowledge and skills they need to thrive.
Type 1 Essentials brings decades of lived experience, alongside leading clinical expertise, to Australians with type 1, their families and support networks. It presents essential ‘must-know’ information in an easy-to-follow online format, accessible at any time, any place.
Type 1 Essentials was developed by the Type 1 Diabetes Family Centre in Western Australia alongside some of Western Australia’s leading clinicians. Type 1 Diabetes Family Centre CEO, Benjamin Jardine, says that the course will make “wishing for essential type 1 knowledge” a thing of the past.
“We recognise that even with the best medical care, chronic diseases like type 1 diabetes are lived every day of every moment. Your doctor can’t be there to make your decisions for you. The reality of living with a complex chronic disease is that you - or your carer - takes the responsibility for managing the disease. If you are not confident and supported to make those decisions every day, devastating and irreversible damage can result.”
Benjamin has made no secret of his personal experience living with type 1, having been diagnosed as a young adult. He says that transforming type 1 diabetes management starts by arming people with high quality information, alongside real-world, practical advice from people who live with the condition every day.
“When you’re diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, the news can be devastating. It feels like nearly every aspect of your life will change. It can be a very scary prospect. This is particularly because administering insulin, a potentially lethal drug, must be done by the person or their carer, in their own home, every day. However, our team knows from years of lived experience that when a person is armed with the right information and supports, they can thrive with type 1,” Benjamin says.
Type 1 Essentials is purposefully packed full of information that people living with type 1 need, to live well with the condition. It covers the foundations of what the disease is, to the complexities of day to day living, including the impact of insulin, alcohol, exercise, and food on the body.
“Type 1 is one of the most complex self-managed conditions on earth. People living with type 1 must make around 180 extra decisions a day just to stay alive. These decisions range from managing blood glucose and administering insulin injections, to what impact exercise, food, alcohol and even stress have on the body,” Benjamin adds.
These 180 daily decisions add considerable mental strain. Type 1 Essentials was developed ease this burden, by curating the critical information needed to thrive and presenting it as an easy to absorb online course. Type 1 Essentials allows people living with the condition to access a toolkit of knowledge that supports them in their daily lives and was created with input from some of Australia’s leading type 1 experts.
“We worked with endocrinologists, diabetes educators, dietitians, psychologists and people living with type 1 to develop this course,” Mr. Jardine says. “Type 1 Essentials really delivers on its promise to provide an essential toolkit for people living with type 1 – a knowledge-bank created from years of experience, packed full of practical examples and presented in a modern, easy to access platform,” Benjamin says of the course content.
Carly Green is one of many Type 1 Essentials contributors. As a person living with Type 1, Carly describes the information she was given at diagnosis as “very limited.” She says that had the course existed when she was diagnosed, it would have been a great benefit.
“I almost can't describe in words how much of an impact it would have had if I’d had a course like this upon diagnosis. It took me years of trial and error and get a grasp on type 1, so it would have absolutely changed my world to have this course,” Carly says.
As one of several contributors to the course content, Carly provided valuable insight into the type 1 diabetes experience, as well as tips and tricks on how to manage the condition. Of her contribution, Carly says: “The fact that I could help someone (by participating in the course) and shorten that time of trial and error and pain and tears, is invaluable.”
Type 1 Essentials is available at www.t1learning.com for a RRP of $299. Participants will have ongoing access to the course once registered, which can be completed at learners own pace on desktop, laptop, tablet, or mobile devices. During National Diabetes Week, the course can be accessed for just $199 using the promotion code t1e2023 (for registrations between 10 and 16 July 2023).Customers can access the introduction and first module free.
Benjamin concludes: “Whether you’re new to type 1, have been living with the condition for a while, or are a concerned family member, the course will support you to thrive. Our goal is ambitious, but achievable – we want to support everyone to live the best life they can, despite the challenges of type 1, and we believe that Type 1 Essentials will help achieve this.”
Benefits of Type 1 Essentials:
Improve your understanding of type 1 diabetes and its impact on the body,
Understand the latest management techniques for living with type 1 diabetes including new technologies such as continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), new medications and new guidelines for living well with type 1,
Hear from people living with type 1 diabetes on what it is really like to live, and to thrive, with this complex condition,
Build a toolkit of tips, tricks, advice and guidelines to manage type 1 diabetes, including during exercise, when you are unwell and when type 1 is at its most challenging.
Development of Type 1 Essentials:
Overseen by a pre-eminent Clinical Advisory Committee chaired by Dr Joey Kaye, Head of Department of Diabetes and Endocrinology at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, the Type 1 Essentials Program is the toolkit we all wish we had when we started on our own journeys with type 1. The development of the Type 1 Essentials program was led by people who live with type 1 diabetes day to day and know what it is really like to manage this challenging condition.
With the help of a team of incredible health professionals, the team bring together everything they wish they knew when they were first diagnosed. All the tips and tricks, all the words of wisdom they’ve picked up on the way. There’s no pretending type 1 diabetes isn’t tough here, just real-world, practical advice paired with the best evidence-based clinical advice available.
Benefits of Type 1 Essentials:
Learn at your own pace,
Access information when you need, any time of day or night, in an easy digital format,
Go back and review anything you’ve learned at any time – build your toolkit!
Development Partners:
· Lotterywest, and
· Arc Infrastructure
Access the course:
Launch Video / Carly’s Story: