THE MORAY BRANCH of Diabetes UK has stepped in to ensure that a specialist piece of weighing equipment is made available.
As part of the Moray Community Health and Social Care Partnership, the group recognised there was a need to have specialised scales for wheelchair-bound patients.
The need was identified to help people in the region who suffered from Diabetes and also had limited mobility through amputation or other issues for which weight control was a significant part of their treatment.
Specialist scales costing over £1300 have now been installed at the dietetics clinic at the Glassgreen Medical Centre in Elgin.
Jan Masson, who is the senior Diabetes Dietician, said: “Our grateful thanks to the team at our Local Moray Diabetes UK group for raising the necessary funds to allow us to buy essential equipment and materials to help us support and manage our clients with diabetes in Moray.
“Having the correct tools to be able to weigh our clients regularly is important to be able to monitor their progress and to help us decide on the best course of treatment for the service user.
“Having these special bariatric wheelchair scales will allow us to weigh our service users who are in wheelchairs and of limited mobility – as well as some of our other clients who we are unable to weigh on our current scales.
“Having scales that can weigh up to 500kg will give us the opportunity to be able to weigh patients in the newer, heavier, battery operated wheelchairs, which is a great bonus.”
Moray Diabetes UK has also helped in the funding of 20 ‘Carbs and Cals’ books for loan to patients, helping them to understand how different foods and portions can affect diabetes control.
Jan added: “Patients find these books invaluable in helping them assess their carbohydrate intake (also calorie, fat and protein intake if necessary too), and it helps them to decide on suitable portions to match their medication and to achieve their dietary goals.
“They are very visual tools and extremely useful teaching aids. The Diabetes Team are very grateful to the efforts of our local supporters and volunteers of the Moray Diabetes UK group for raising the funds that have kindly supplied us with these extremely useful items.”
A plaque commemorating the donation will be placed at the centre in Thornhill Road, Elgin on Monday, October 3 at 10.15am.
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