How to Facilitate a Diabetic Support Group

A diabetes support group can be a wonderful way to get people together who suffer from diabetes and discuss particular topics and issues diabetics face, including health issues and issues within relationships. While psychological support groups are often facilitated by a trained professional, it only takes a little bit of gumption to lead a support group for diabetes.

Instructions

• 1

  Research diabetic support groups in your area. Try the American Diabetes Association for a list of active groups. Decide if your area needs support groups or the specific type of group you'd like to set up.

• 2

  Set a date and time to hold a meeting of interest. If you wish, invite a guest speaker such as a doctor who specializes in diabetes. You could hold your first meeting in a church, temple, community center or hospital multipurpose room.

• 3

  Advertise your meeting of interest. Hang posters in hospitals (specifically in sections that cater to diabetic patients), churches, temples, community center boards and local universities. Use an online tool such as craigslist or meetup.com to garner more interest. Contact the American Diabetes Association or other diabetes non-profit organizations and ask for help in advertising your group.

• 4

  Assess the interest of your group and gather e-mail addresses. Is a support group for diabetes something your community is interested in? Should you to go ahead with the group even if there are very few people in your group? If there is interest, talk to an organization that has a meeting room and ask when the room is free. Discuss the best time for the group to meet and arrange a time and place for weekly meetings.

• 5

  Set a topic for each meeting. Some suggestions include dealing with doctors, diabetic diets, relationships and social consequences of diabetes and side effects of diabetes--anything from hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia, to complications of the disease, such as limb amputation, blindness or neuropathy.

• 6

  Remember, this is a diabetes support group, not therapy. Not everyone has to speak. If you feel someone is talking too much, ask questions and reopen discussion to the whole group. If you have a continuing problem with someone talking too much or members talking over each other, institute something like a "talking stick," in which people must have a designated object in their hand in order to speak.

• 7

  Refrain from talking about other members in the group when they are not there unless it is to share news of their diabetic condition. Your group exists for support, not gossip.

• 8

  Invite guest speakers periodically to talk about diabetes, medications and side effects of the disease. You can also ask medical professionals to demonstrate equipment, such as less invasive ways to test your blood sugar. Schedule it so that the guest speaker speaks for 30 minutes to an hour and then have your group discuss issues related to the topic for another 30 minutes to an hour.