DAFNE stands for Dose Adjustment For Normal Eating It is a way of managing your diabetes by working out how much insulin you need to take for what you want to eat. It is based on: 1-2 injections of long acting insulin per day Insulin with meals Checking your blood glucose levels before meals and bedtime This approach has been used in Europe since the 1980s and has shown: An improvement in diabetes control based on HbA1c with less hypoglycaemia Better quality of life Improved satisfaction with treatment Don’t I already do this? Many people already have 3-5 injections per day but often just match their insulin to the amount of food they eat. DAFNE takes away the guesswork and also gives you the skills to manage illness, exercise and alcohol more safely. What does it involve? It is a 5 day programme, either over one week or 1 day a week spread over 5 weeks. There are usually 6-8 people with Type 1 diabetes in the group. The teaching covers carbohydrate estimation, insulin dosing, blood glucose and ketone monitoring, eating out, understanding food labels, hypos, illness and exercise. The course will either be run at Addenbrookes Hospital or in a suitable venue in the local community. Most of the training is built around group work, sharing and comparing experiences with other people with Type 1 diabetes. However there are opportunities to for you to speak to a nurse, Dietitian or doctor individually. What are the costs? There is no cost for attending the course, although you may need to organise family commitments or take time off work. However, we can provide a letter of explanation to your employer and most people can take paid leave to attend. If you would like to know more or add your name to our recruitment list, please email Allison Housden on allison.housden@addenbrookes.nhs.uk or call her on 01223 348781 |