Prevent or Manage Diabetes

Diabetes is a disease that happens when your blood glucose (blood sugar) is too high. Over time, having too much glucose in your blood can cause health problems like heart disease, nerve damage, eye problems, and kidney disease. There are local programs ready to help you prevent diabetes if you are at risk, and also to help you learn to manage diabetes.

Take steps now to prevent diabetes in the future:

YMCA Diabetes Prevention Program

The YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) is a program to help prevent diabetes. Participants join a support group with a trained coach for peer support. This 12-month program focuses on healthy eating, weight loss and other behavior changes that improve health. For details, call 216-509-3480 or send an email to healthyliving@clevelandY.org.

Already have diabetes? Manage it well with help from local experts:

Fairhill Partners
Fairhill Partners offer local diabetes self-management and chronic disease self-management classes to residents 55 and older at low to no cost. Many programs through Fairhill Partners support residents with diabetes and other chronic diseases. For information on upcoming classes in Lorain County, call 216-421-1350.

Evi-Base
Evi-Base is a local organization that offers health self-management programming to patients, members of healthcare organizations and employees. They offer short programs around Northeast Ohio that focus on diabetes management and other chronic diseases. For information on classes in Lorain County: call 216-512-0222 or send an email to programs@evi-base.com.

American Diabetes Association
If you have questions about diabetes, are newly diagnosed, or are looking for more information about this disease, contact the American Diabetes Association. Call their hotline at 1-800-342-2383. Free magazines and other resources are also available-- ask about them.

Mercy Health Diabetes Education
Mercy Health in Lorain offers diabetes education. To learn about their support program for Lorain County residents, call 440-960-3810.

4 ways to keep active:

• Sign up to take a 6-week long Matter of Balance class to improve or maintain strength, balance, and coordination.
• Find a no-cost fitness event through the United We Sweat – check out the schedule.
• Join a SilverSneakers class near you –see if you qualify. 
• Walk with a group indoors – Whether at a big box store, school campus or at Fit Walks.
  • The Fit Walks group is free and meets twice each week to walk on dry indoor tracks:
    • Mondays at at Splash Zone in Oberlin
    • Thursdays at at Mercy Recreation Center in Amherst