Diabetes in children: Preparing a care plan for school
What is a diabetes care plan for school?
A diabetes care plan is a document that lists all the information that the school staff needs to know to make sure your child's diabetes is under control. The goal of a diabetes care plan for school is to meet your child's daily needs and prepare ahead of time for any problems. The plan includes information on how to handle:
- Insulin, if needed. Make sure you include information on how to give insulin to your child, how much insulin to give, and how to store the insulin. Your child may get it as a shot, use an insulin pen, or have an insulin pump.
- Oral medicine. If your child takes pills for diabetes, make sure you include instructions on how, when, and how much medicine your child should take.
- Meals and snacks.
- Make sure that your child's teacher and the school staff know that your child has permission to eat a snack anytime he or she needs it. You may want to provide your child's teacher with snacks to give your child when he or she has signs of low blood sugar.
- Make a list of foods your child can eat, how much, and when. You will also want to have a list of foods that your child can have during special occasions, such as a class party, a school assembly, or an outing.
- Blood sugar testing. This section of the plan lists how often and when to test your child's blood sugar. For example, your child may need his or her blood sugar tested before lunch and when he or she has symptoms of low blood sugar. The diabetes care plan should also say if an adult needs to test your child's blood sugar or if your child can do it. Younger children will need an adult to test their blood sugar, while older children may be able to test it on their own.
- Symptoms of low or high blood sugar. Your child's symptoms of low or high blood sugar may be different from those of other children. In this section of the diabetes care plan, talk about your child's symptoms of low or high blood sugar and how to treat it. You can print out the following information to give to your child's teacher and other school staff:
- Testing ketones. This section of the plan will include information on when and how to test your child's urine for ketones. The school nurse and one or more other school staff members should know how to test your child's urine for ketones and know what to do if the results are not normal.
- Who to call. Include contact information for parent(s), other caregivers, and the doctor. You will also want to let your child's teachers and school staff know when to call 911 for help in case of an emergency.
Give the school staff the right supplies to care for your child, including:
- A home blood sugar test.
- Insulin and syringes.
- Glucagon (if it's in the plan).
- Materials to test for ketones in your child's urine.
Make sure the school staff knows how to use and store the supplies you provide. Your child must be able to get to these supplies at all times. You may also need to check the expiration date and replace supplies from time to time. You can print out the following information to give to your child's teacher and other school staff:
- Preparing a glucagon injection
- Giving a glucagon injection
It's also a good idea to give the school staff some general information about diabetes. This will help them understand the disease, its symptoms, and the treatment. You can use the following for information about diabetes:
Test Your Knowledge
Your child's diabetes care plan should include information about blood sugar testing.
It's important for your child's teacher and other school staff to know your child's symptoms of low or high blood sugar.
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Why does your child need a diabetes care plan for school?
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| Author: | Merrill Hayden | Last Updated: December 17, 2007 |
| Medical Review: | Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine Matthew I. Kim, MD - Endocrinology & Metabolism | |
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