Care
DIABETES SERVICES THAT WORK FOR THE COMMUNITY Diabetes NZ is partnering with health organisations around the country to improve community-based services for those with type 2 diabetes. Newly created roles for hauora kaimahi – diabetes community coordinators – are the key. Meet Kylee Stok, our hauora kaimahi in the Hawke's Bay region.
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DIABETES WELLNESS | Spring 2022
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ith a strong background in community healthcare, including as a youth worker, a stop-smoking practitioner, and a health coach, Kylee Stok was the ideal person to fill the new Hawke's Bay role, which was created through a partnership between Diabetes NZ and Health Hawke's Bay. BUILDING THE ROLE FROM THE GROUND UP
Kylee started in her role in November 2021. Since then, she’s been building connections in the community, talking to people living with type 2 diabetes about what does and doesn’t work for them, networking with other healthcare workers, and completing a certificate in diabetes care through Waikato University. Although this course is aimed
mainly at clinical workers, she says she’s gained a good understanding of diabetes from it: ‘It’s been a real eye-opener.’ Kylee has also been setting up the programme she’ll run: Your Life Your Journey. Around the world, there’s a movement towards group-based diabetes self-management education programmes. Your Life Your Journey was developed by diabetes researchers specifically for people with diabetes in Aotearoa New Zealand. Kylee says, ‘It’s designed as a six-week programme, delivered one day per week, with each block being two hours long. So small chunks over a six week period. However, we’re going to see what our community needs are and what's going to work best for our clients – our whaiora.
