How to Make an Individual Health Plan for Children with Diabetes

Contents:

• Medical Video: Coping with a Type 1 Diabetes Diagnosis
  

Medical Video: Coping with a Type 1 Diabetes Diagnosis

What individual health plans do children need at school? When do they need it? And who will give it? This must be made according to input from the child, parent / guardian, school nurse, and relevant school staff.

Health plans can be considered as a type of written agreement prepared with the school, so it needs to be made as detailed as possible. This plan must include the following:

• Written permission from parents / guardians and teachers responsible for administering insulin by school staff, or done alone by children during school hours.
• Helps find out what children need to treat their diabetes. What can they do themselves and what they need from others.
• Who will provide assistance and when.
• Details of insulin needed, dosage needed, when needed, and procedures for injecting or using a pump.
• Details of when children need to test their blood glucose levels, procedures for testing them, and actions to be taken after the results are known.
• Description of the symptoms of hypo and hyperglycemia (and their triggers) and what the staff will do if one of these occurs. This should also include when parents / caregivers should be contacted and when an ambulance must be called.
• Details of when children need to eat heavily and snacks, what help they need during meals, for example whether they should be prioritized in the lunch queue, need help to count carbohydrates, or have other special arrangements around eating or snacking time.
• Things that need to be done before, during, or after sports lessons, to test blood glucose or consume additional foods.
• Details of where insulin and other equipment will be stored and who has access. This must also include what is needed, how often the inventory must be checked, and by whom.
• What to do in an emergency, including who to contact.
• Any special support needed regarding education, and children's emotional and social needs, such as how your child's attendance is, support for catching up with lessons, or counseling arrangements.
• What plan should be there for the exam (if appropriate).
• What plans should be in each school trip (field trips or out-of-town trips with school) or other school activities outside the normal schedule.

The help your child needs will likely change over time, and treatment plans may also change. At least it must be reviewed annually, but it must also be reviewed when the level of child care for itself has changed.

After the plan is made and the child, parent / guardian, and school have agreed, all parties must sign it.