NEPA Vital Signs - Summer Fall 2018 - 28

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As the summer winds down and before the new school year
starts, parents should work with their school professionals to
help develop a plan of care individualized for their child. Having
diabetes should not prevent a student from participating in any
activity and with the proper training of school staff, they can do
so in safe manner.

* Allow trained school staff members to administer insulin
* Allow trained school staff members to administer glucagon
* Allow capable students to self-manage their diabetes
while at school
There are several resources for parents and schools that
can assist with managing diabetes in the school setting. A few
of these include:
* "Diabetes in School Children: A Recommendation and
Resource Guide for Pennsylvania School Personnel" was
developed to educate school personnel about effective diabetes management and to share a set of practices that enable
schools to ensure a safe learning environment for students
with diabetes, particularly those who use insulin to manage the
disease. It was based on the document "Helping the Student
with Diabetes Succeed: A Guide for School Personnel (2016
edition)," which was developed by the National Institute
of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National
Institutes of Health.
* The American Diabetes Association's Safe at School Campaign
was developed as a resource to assist meeting the diabetes management needs of students. Parents, the student with diabetes,
school staff and the healthcare provider managing the disease
should all work together as a team to ensure the safety of the
student in the schools. "Parents should proactively work with
the school to put a 504 plan in place," said Crystal Jackson,
director of the ADA's Safe at School campaign.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends making a "Hypo" box. This is a good idea both for in
school and for traveling with children. It should contain: glucose
tablets, juice boxes, crackers and glucose tablets/gels or other
fast-acting carbs like fruit juice or hard candy (about 10 to 15
grams) that will raise blood sugar levels quickly in case of a low
blood sugar. It would be helpful to have an extra blood glucose
meter, test strips and lancets in case of any situation in school,
such as lockdown, where a child may not be able to leave the
classroom and might have a hypoglycemic reaction. Label the
box with your child's name and remember to keep it stocked.
It requires a team effort to manage diabetes in a variety of school
settings, such as the classroom, lunchroom, sporting events and
field trips. In July 2016, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf signed
into a law a bill that allows school staff to be trained to provide
routine and emergency diabetes care and lets capable students
self-manage their diabetes in school settings. Pennsylvania now
meets the requirements of the American Diabetes Association's
(ADA) Safe at School campaign that requires schools to:
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NEPA Vital Signs - Summer Fall 2018
