Month: November 2024

Meet Melanie Ashkewe, a client advisor with Downtown East Toronto Ontario Health Team’s Lower Limb Preservation Program, as she shares her lived experience of managing diabetes. Ashkewe grew up in Neyaashiinigmiing (formerly Cape Croker), Ontario, and is a proud member of the Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation.

“Take care of your diabetes,” she advises, sharing her personal journey of overcoming the challenges of living with the condition. Through consistent diabetes management, Ashkewe found the motivation to make healthier lifestyle choices.

#diabetes #diabeteslifestyle #diabeticfootulcer #diabetesawareness #preventivecare

“A central component of primary care is preventive care,” says Dr. Michelle Hanna, a practicing family physician and advisor with Downtown East Toronto Ontario Health Team’s Lower Limb Preservation Program. She emphasizes that maintaining a healthy diet, engaging in regular physical activity, and achieving weight reduction are key pillars of preventive care that can significantly reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes and avoid serious long-term complications, like nerve damage to the feet.

#diabetes #primarycare #preventivecare #diabeticfootulcer

Part 2 of 2

Maintaining proper foot hygiene and selecting the right footwear are key practices for keeping your feet healthy and preventing complications related to diabetes, such as foot ulcers and infections.

Teresa Salzmann, a Registered Chiropodist at Anishnawbe Health Toronto—a partner in the Downtown East Toronto Ontario Health Team’s Lower Limb Preservation Program—shares valuable tips on how to properly clean and care for your feet and toenails. She also provides guidance on choosing shoes that offer the right support and protection.

#diabetes #diabeticfootulcer #footcare #diabeteslifestyle #healthyfeet #prevention

Part 1 of 2

Diabetes can lead to nerve damage and poor circulation, increasing the risk of foot wounds, ulcers, and infections.

Meet Teresa Salzmann, a Registered Chiropodist at Anishnawbe Health Toronto, a partner in the Downtown East Toronto Ontario Health Team’s Lower Limb Preservation Program. Salzmann shares tips on what to look for during self-exams, including bruises, swelling, and open sores that may indicate the early stages of a foot wound or ulcer.

#diabetes #diabeticfootulcer #footcare #diabeteslifestyle #healthyfeet #prevention

Every day in Canada, 16 people lose a leg to diabetes,” shares Dr. Charles de Mestral, Vascular Surgeon at St. Michael’s Hospital, a member of the Downtown East Toronto Ontario Health Team (DET OHT) and a partner in DET OHT’s Lower Limb Preservation Program.

Watch Dr. de Mestral explain three essential steps that can help people with diabetes prevent foot wounds, infections, and other complications that can lead to amputation.

#diabetes #diabeteslifestyle #footcare #diabeticfootulcer #vascularhealth