Rondom is organising the Diabetes Chat Café!

People with diabetes are at increased risk of foot problems such as poor blood circulation, reduced sensation in the feet and slow-healing wounds on the feet. This can raise questions in everyday life about how to prevent and recognise foot problems. How do you prevent wounds? What should you look out for in your daily life? And when should you seek advice from a healthcare professional?

For us, preventive and appropriate care goes far beyond just the physical consultation in the treatment room. Before, during and after an appointment, we aim to support patients with clear information, practical advice and tools to improve their self-management, enabling them to recognise risks themselves and prevent problems as much as possible.

We support self-management for people with diabetes through, amongst other things, regular newsletters, webinars, knowledge quizzes and our Diabetes Foot Check app. At the same time, face-to-face meetings, mutual recognition and sharing experiences are just as valuable. With this in mind, we launched the Diabetes Chat Café.

Gathering round the table at the Diabetes Chat Café

The Diabetes Praatcafé is an accessible group meeting for people with diabetes. Each meeting focuses on a different theme. Participants sit down together, share experiences and exchange practical tips.

The care provider gives clear explanations and answers questions, but the conversation between participants is just as important. What works well in everyday life? What difficulties do others face? And what solutions have they found? By sharing experiences, participants recognise that they are not alone in having certain questions or concerns.

In this way, participants learn not only from the healthcare provider, but above all from and with one another. The Diabetes Praatcafé thus offers a place for information, socialising and mutual support, so that people with diabetes can enjoy life even more.

Successful first editions of ‘De goede schoen’!

The first theme of the Diabetes Discussion Café is ‘The Right Shoe’. Shoes that do not fit properly can cause pressure sores and chafing. If these areas are not spotted in time, they can eventually lead to a wound.

During the session, participants are given practical advice on, amongst other things, the correct fit, sturdiness and materials. They will also check whether the shoe size is still correct. In addition, there will be plenty of opportunity to share experiences. What do others look out for when buying shoes? What problems do they encounter? And what tips can they give each other?

Afterwards, every participant will receive a personal checklist. This can also be used to help make the right choice in a shoe shop.

The first sessions were a great success. Participants recognised a lot in each other’s stories and went home with new knowledge and practical tips. And we’ve only just begun: in the coming period, we’ll be organising the Diabetes Praatcafé on ‘The right shoe’ in many more regions.

We are hard at work on the next editions!

Behind the scenes, we’re already hard at work preparing new, valuable topics for the next editions of the Diabetes Praatcafé! In this way, we’re working together to develop appropriate care that doesn’t just start when symptoms appear, but actually helps to prevent foot problems. Because only together can we make life run more smoothly!