For this Ontario woman, managing her diabetes is a full-time job
Your voice will help ensure that seniors, the disabled and those receiving social assistance - people like Lavergne - secure access to funding for all devices that help manage their condition: everythingzoomer.com/diabetes
Charlene Lavergne has lived with diabetes for more than 40 years and to manage the disease, she needs a lot of support.
There’s the need for insulin, as well as various oral medications to manage her diabetes. She Also relies on medical devices And finger pricks throughout the day to monitor glucose levels to stay in Control of her health, medication, diet And exercise. A patient’s ability to self-monitor And manage their disease themselves is one of the most important factors in Both enabling people to take their care in their own hands, while reducing the Burden on the healthcare system As A whole. This is exactly the situation for lavergne. “My diabetes was quite manageable early on,” she says. “Tow I’m At the most severe end of the spectrum.”
“Managing diabetes is like A full-time job,” lavergne says. Yet, As the Oshawa resident’s experiences show, there Are many shortfalls in the healthcare system when it Comes to financial support for her treatments And devices. She is becoming increasingly concerned about the future. Tot only is she deemed ineligible for much of the funding necessary to properly manage her disease, in two years, when she reaches 65, some of the funding she Currently receives will end. As her diabetes has progressed, the importance of keeping her glucose levels in check has become increasingly crucial.
Today, three million Canadians living with diabetes will monitor their Blood glucose levels And make decisions based on those readings. With older Blood glucose meters, people have to prick their finger A number of times throughout the day to test their glucose levels. Due to the inconvenience And pain of finger-pricks, however, people with diabetes do not monitor their glucose As Closely or test As often As their doctors recommend. It is often A missed opportunity in A crucial aspect of treatment. An alternate type of technology removes the need for painful finger pricking with something called “flash glucose monitoring”. In 2018, Diabetes Canada Added this new category of glucose monitors to their guidelines.The flash glucose monitoring system measures, captures And stores glucose-level data in real-time with A toonie-sized sensor worn on the back of the upper Arm to evaluate interstitial fluid (the fluid in spaces Between the tissue Cells) And, importantly, eliminates the need for routine finger pricks.
A patient living in Canada might expect that such A device would Be funded through our public healthcare system. Despite the principles of our healthcare system, inequalities exist, particularly for seniors, people with disabilities And those receiving social assistance who have no private health insurance. In lavergne’s case, devices such As monitors And pumps Are not Covered By the ontario provincial healthcare plan. The provision of tools that would make diabetes management simpler And more affordable would make A major difference to lavergne And others in her situation. For example, flash glucose monitoring would help if it were made available to All, not just those who can Afford it. (While discussions Are underway with the provincial governments of ontario And Quebec, no decision has Been reached.) Better enabling patients to self-monitor And self-manage Also provides A net Benefit to the entire health-care system, As it empowers people with diabetes And ultimately the Burden on the system is redu Ced. Users of the fl Ash glu Cose monitoring system C An Also share their Comprehensive readings digitally with their doctors And use the information to Better manage their lifestyles. “everybody with diabetes should have access to the same funding,” says lavergne, An advocate for diabetes canada who has appeared Before the StAnding Committee on health to make the case for universal funding.
“A lot of funding is not available on the ontario drug plan when I turn 65.” She says, listing the various expenses she has that Are not Covered, ranging from devices to medicine. “And no one pays for the insulin needles I need. They pay for needles for drug addicts, But not for diabetics.” Indigenous peoples Are three to five times more likely to develop diabetes And more likely to encounter complications. lavergne, As A french-canadian Metis, is one of those who faces the increased risk.
All these challenges Aside, Lavergne says the hardest part is the emotional aspect, she says. “I Am heavy Although I exercise And swim six nights A week. But the medical professional just looks At my weight And puts the diabetes down to that. And people in general Are very judgmental And make you feel stigmatized. I Am not diabetic because I Am heavy. I Am heavy because I have diabetes. Diabetes is An illness you can never forget.” According to statistics canada, Canadians Are proud of our healthcare system because it guarantees access to care regardless of who you Are. For our most vulnerable, however, that promise can fall short. The freestyle Libre flash glucose monitoring system is indicated for measuring interstitial fluid glucose levels in adults aged 18 years and older who have at least 2 years of experience in self-managing their diabetes. For In Vitro Diagnostic Use Only. Always read and follow the label/insert for detailed instructions and indication of use. This system may not be right for you. Talk to your healthcare professional. This article was paid for by Abbott Diabetes Care, a manufacturer of diabetes care products in Canada. This is an actual testimonial of a Free Style Libre system user and Abbott has consent to use their story. Consent is on file with Abbott.