The Diabetes Project

The Active Living and Diabetes: A Prescription for Change Among Older Canadians initiative promotes awareness of the risk of diabetes among older adults, and assists ALCOA member organizations to integrate diabetes health promotion into their programs and services. The project is funded by Health Canada through the Canadian Diabetes Strategy and focuses on the importance of physical activity and healthy eating as a means to help prevent and control adult-onset diabetes. Some key project components include:

A needs assessment and a resource review helped identify gaps in information related to older adults, diabetes, physical activity, and nutrition. Guides for heath practitioners and older adults were prepared to bridge this information gap. These Guides are available online.

A special diabetes training module will be added to ALCOA's Speakers' Bureau to inform and help motivate others about the benefits of physical activity and proper nutrition in the prevention and control of type 2 diabetes. The Speakers' Bureau has a network of community presenters across Canada and the Speakers aim to reach older adults in the community and through organizations at the provincial and national levels. The Diabetes Module will be available online in Summer 2003.

Diabetes Advisory Committee

Active Living and Diabetes: A Prescription for Change Among Older Canadians is guided by a multi-disciplinary, national advisory committee. The Committee Members include: Margaret Barbour (Chair of the Advisory), Manitoba Cardiac Institute (www.reh-fit.com); Frank Bellamy, ALCOA Older Adult Advisory and Saskatchewan Seniors Mechanism; Louise Beaton, Canadian Association of Occupational Therapist (www.otworks.ca); Barbara Black, National Canadian Pensioners Concerned; Gylda Fry, Project Consultant, Division of Aging and Seniors, Health Canada (www.hc.sc.gc.ca); Susan Good, Canadian Diabetes Association (www.diabetes.ca); Jacquelyn McKenzie, Dietitians of Canada (www.dietitians.ca); Kieko Miki, Canadian Ethnocultural Council (www.ethnocultural.ca).
Margaret Horn, National Indian & Inuit Community Health Representatives Organization, has also been a member of the committee.

Be Active. Eat Well Guides

The Be Active. Eat Well Guides were designed on the basis of a needs assessment and a resource review to identify gaps in information related to older adults, diabetes, physical activity, and nutrition.

The Guides were produced in consultation with the Dietitians of Canada and the Canadian Diabetes Association.

Two types of Guides are available. One Guide is meant for practitioners and organizations working with older adults and the second Guide is for older adults. The Guide for practitioners and organizations is complementary to the Guide for older adults. These Guides are available in English and French and can be downloaded on line.

If you would like to order these Guides please call 1-800-549-9799 or email

Resources

ALCOA Research Update

The ALCOA Research Update issue on Type 2 Diabetes and Physical Activity for older adults was authored by Catrine Tudor-Locke PhD. The research Update presents in plain language, practical, leading edge research results on physical activity and older adults. The Research Update is available on line at Research Update Diabetes.

Order these free resources

BE ACTIVE. EAT WELL. PREVENT AND CONTROL TYPE 2 DIABETES.
Guide for Older Adults.
1-800-549-9799

CANADA’S PHYSICAL ACTIVITY GUIDE FOR OLDER ADULTS.
1-888-334-9769
www.paguide.com

CANADA’S FOOD GUIDE TO HEALTHY EATING
(613) 954-5995
www.hc-sc.gc.ca/nutrition

Useful Websites

ACTIVE LIVING COALITION FOR OLDER ADULTS
www.alcoa.ca

CANADIAN ASSOCIATION OF OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS
www.otworks.ca

CANADIAN CENTRE FOR ACTIVITY AND AGING
www.uwo.ca/actage

CANADIAN DIABETES ASSOCIATION
www.diabetes.ca

CANADIAN ETHNOCULTURAL COUNCIL
www.ethnocultural.ca

CANADIAN HEALTH NETWORK
www.canadian-health-network.ca

CANADIAN PHYSIOTHERAPY ASSOCIATION
www.physiotherapy.ca

CANADIAN SOCIETY FOR EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGY
www.csep.ca

DIETITIANS OF CANADA
www.dietitians.ca

NATIONAL ABORIGINAL DIABETES ASSOCIATION
www.nada.ca

Financial contribution for this Project was provided from the Prevention and Promotion Contribution Program, Health Canada. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the official policy of Health Canada.

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