Preventing eye disorders for people with diabetes
WARWICK — Eye care is essential for people with diabetes.
This is the message Ophthalmologist Dr. Mandes R. Kates will present to adults attending the regular monthly meeting of “Diabetes in Check” on Monday, Dec. 16.
The support group, open to anyone with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, is sponsored by the Center for Diabetes Education at St. Anthony Community Hospital in Warwick.
“Diabetes in Check” will meet from 6:30 TO 7:30 p.m. in the hospital’s second-floor conference room. Everyone is invited to attend this educational program geared toward all adults with diabetes and their families.
According to the American Diabetes Association, diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in people between the age of 20 and 74. Uncontrolled blood sugars place one at higher risk for conditions of the eye such as corneal damage, retinal damage and glaucoma, all of which can lead to blindness.
“We’re pleased to have Dr. Kates offer this important and informative presentation on early detection and prevention of eye disorders caused by diabetes,” said Certified Diabetes Educator Lourdes Braadt, RN. “The best ways to prevent visual problems are keeping blood sugars under control and having regular checkups with your ophthalmologist.”
Braadt and St. Anthony Community Hospital Lead Dietician and Certified Diabetes Educator Janine Killeen RD, CDE are also available at “Diabetes in Check” sessions to answer any questions
The Center for Diabetes Education at St. Anthony Community Hospital offers a series of classes for all patients who have been recently diagnosed with diabetes or those who demonstrate poorly controlled diets. During group or individual sessions, clinical instructors offer initial assessment, emotional support and will seek to help patients achieve a better understanding of the disease.
They will show their patients how to live a normal and productive life with diabetes and how to control the disease through diet and exercise.
Kates, a board certified ophthalmologist associated with St. Anthony Community Hospital and a member of Eye Physicians of Orange County, graduated cum laude from Princeton University and went on to earn a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Yale University. He completed his medical education at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and then interned in general surgery at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center. He performed his residency in Ophthalmology at Mount Sinai Medical Center and was offered a Fellowship in Orbit and Ocuplastic Surgery at the Harkness Eye Institute in New York City.
All adults with diabetes and their caregivers are urged to attend the December 16 “Diabetes in Check” meeting. Seating is limited and all those planning to attend are asked to reserve a place as soon as possible by calling 845-987-5168.
For more information about the Center for Diabetes Education, call 845-987-5168 or visit bschs.bonsecours.com.