Back-to-school checklist includes diabetes tool kit

For most children, heading back to school means going to the store to pick up pencils, paper and folders, and meeting their new teachers.

For children with diabetes, however, even more preparation is needed for the new school year. Their school supplies will include their medications, supplies for monitoring their blood sugar and an at-school diabetes management plan developed by their doctors.

Sending a child with diabetes off to school and trusting teachers and school staff to handle possible emergencies can pose some anxious moments for parents. Roche Diagnostics, the maker of Accu-Chek diabetes management products, understands those concerns and wants to help. That's why Roche Diagnostics created the Accu-Chek Back-to-School Tool Kit. The tool kit contains information and tips that parents and school staff can use to help ensure a healthy school environment for children with diabetes. The tool kit includes:

1) Diabetes Information Sheet - an overview for teachers and school staff to explain diabetes and how it affects students with diabetes.

2) Diabetes Medical Management Plan - a personalized student diabetes management tool to keep on file at the school.

3) Hypo-/Hyperglycemia Quick-Reference Card - a list of signs and symptoms associated with low and high blood sugar and tips for immediate treatment.

4) Sports and Exercise Information Sheet - tips on how to help kids with diabetes participate in sports safely.

Providing this information to a child's school is an important part of an overall diabetes management plan and helps ensure that children with diabetes are properly cared for in the school setting.

"I had five students with diabetes in my middle school last year, and I truly believe the more information available to educate everyone involved in their care, the safer and healthier they are at home and at school. Having an Accu-Chek Back-to-School Tool Kit on hand would make it easier for parents, the school staff, and my team to coordinate healthcare for a child with diabetes," said Amy Hanlon, school nurse at River Valley Middle School in Jeffersonville, Ind.

Julie Costakis, mother of a child with diabetes, said she definitely will use the tool kit this fall. "The Accu-Chek Back-to-School Tool Kit is a terrific resource for parents. The website provides what we need in a helpful, easy-to-use format. This is a valuable service to help equip us and our school with accurate, straightforward information to better understand type 1 diabetes."