Poster Presentation Australian Diabetes Society and the Australian Diabetes Educators Association Annual Scientific Meeting 2017

The ‘Three Ps’ of a confident patient: Practical, Psychosocial and Peer support.  (#353)

Amy N Rush 1 , Rebecca Johnson 1
  1. Telethon Type 1 Diabetes Family Centre, Perth, WA, Australia

Living well with type 1 diabetes means constant adaptation; making critical medical management decisions in response to shifting circumstances. Confidence is crucial. At the Telethon Type 1 Diabetes Family Centre, an Australia-first service for people with type 1, we build confidence by prioritising the ‘Three Ps’: practical, psychosocial and peer support. Our unique Solutions Forum community education model and group education allow people with type 1 to crowdsource their diabetes dilemmas, and solve practical problems by learning from the collective experience of their peers. Through camps and community events, we create opportunities to connect, building essential peer and psychosocial support systems, breaking down isolation and allowing confidence to flourish. And, unusually for a health charity, we engage directly and personally with families through our dynamic, live Online Parents’ Community; a support system available to local parents 24 hours a day. This talk will show you how the Three Ps guide our vision and practice as we showcase the Family Centre’s innovative new service and the connected, confident type 1 tribe of over 400 families we are building in Western Australia.