SUGAR PATCH

GSWP diabetes awareness patch for Junior, Cadette and Ambassador Girl Scouts (4-12^th grades) is an informal, educational program to help girls alert their communities about the signs, symptoms and treatment of diabetes.

Requirements:

Juniors: Complete 5 requirements plus the 3 starred.

Cadette and Ambassadors:   Complete 8 requirements plus the 3 starred.

1. *Research and explain the following:What is a disease?  Is diabetes a disease?  Is diabetes contagious?  Name a contagious disease. What is the complete medical name for diabetes?  Identify the different types of diabetes and their treatments.  Why is diabetes sometimes called “sugar diabetes”? List as many warning signs ( symptoms) of diabetes as you can.


2. Invite a person you know who has diabetes to talk to your troop or group, or call the American Diabetes Association for a speaker, 914-345-9300.


3. Talk to your family and discover if any of your relatives have diabetes.  If yes, find our how he or she deals with it.  If it is OK with your relative, share this information with your troop.


4. Interview a health professional who deals with people who have diabetes such as: nurse educator, physician, dentist, podiatrist ( foot doctor), registered dietitian or ophthalmologist ( eye doctor).  This interview can be conducted by phone, in person or by inviting the person to speak at your troop meeting.


5. Explain what is meant by “risk factor”.  Discuss with your troop the risk factors for diabetes.  List which diabetic risk factor you can change and which ones you cannot change.


6. Draw a picture of the organ of the body which produces insulin.


7. Explain how insulin works in the body.  What is hypoglycemia?  Why is it sometimes called “insulin shock”?  How is it treated?


8. List some of the problems that can come from letting diabetes go untreated for a long time.


9. Make a poster showing the 6 food exchange groups included in the standard diabetic diet.  List 3 foods from each group.


10. How does exercise help a person with diabetes?  Make a poster showing 5 different types of aerobic exercises that would help a person with diabetes.


11. As a service project, help the elderly patients in a nursing home to do simple wheelchair upper body aerobic exercises.  Check with nursing home officials for acceptable exercises OR Make tray favors for the elderly to encourage all patients, especially those with diabetes, to eat healthy foods.


12. *(a)Contact the American Diabetes Association for materials and video, “Diabetes: A Teacher’s Responsibility”, then a) be an advocate. Create a diabetes awareness poster around the theme “Have you been tested for diabetes lately?” Hang your posters in a well trafficked space. ( You may want to make this poster in a language other than English).
    
    b) Participate in the “Take the Test” service project. OR Ask a teacher or group of teachers to view the film “Diabetes: A Teacher’s Responsibility”.  Then have him/her complete the Diabetes Awareness Test for Teachers included with the tape.


13. *When you fell ready take the Diabetes Awareness Test and share your results with your troop.



When completed “Sugar Patches” may be obtained from GSWP.