Students with Diabetes: creating tools for young adults to live their lives

Young adults living with diabetes often face difficult transitions from life with parents – who help them manage their diabetes – to lives of independence and tough choices. Students with Diabetes, a program of USF Health’s Bringing Science Home made possible by The Patterson Foundation, is changing that through a series of communications tools aimed to help young people with diabetes navigate challenging life milestones.

Tools include:

1)    Letter to College Roommate – Helps roommates understand what to expect when rooming with someone living with diabetes

2)    Drinking and Diabetes – Students living with diabetes face serious health dangers if they do not understand how drinking alcohol impacts their bodies. This piece shares information with students - if they choose to drink - on how to do so safely with diabetes.

3)    Love and Support Card – This piece was designed for loved ones of people with diabetes. Many times, people panic or do not know what to do. This card outlines what needs to happen when someone’s blood sugar is low or high and suggests ways to help people cope with the emotional impact of living with diabetes.

To access more of these materials that address pregnancy, emergencie situations and more, please visit Bringing Science Home online.