Perth’s renowned Type 1 Diabetes Family Centre has launched a national virtual clinic in a move to bring proven type 1 diabetes supports to all Australians.
The Family Centre is Australia’s only type 1 specialist community centre, focusing solely on the life-threatening condition that impacts over 130,000 Aussies.
Type 1 diabetes is significantly different to other kinds of diabetes, including type 2, and it is not linked to lifestyle factors. Incurable, type 1 diabetes can strike any person at any time. It is caused when the pancreas stops producing insulin, leaving a person with type 1 to have to manually inject insulin and monitor their blood glucose for the rest of their lives.
The burden of type 1 can be overwhelming, with a person facing more than 180 extra decisions each day just to stay alive. But the Type 1 Diabetes Family Centre’s CEO, Benjamin Jardine, says that the Family Centre has proven countless times a life with type 1 can be a life well lived.
“Every person living with type 1 diabetes deserves every opportunity to live the life they want to live, and there is almost nothing that someone with type 1 diabetes cannot achieve, from ultra-marathons to high-flying executive careers and anything in between,” Mr Jardine – who lives with type 1 – says.
“But navigating the world’s most complex self-managed disease is tough, and no one should have to do it alone. We know from experience that to thrive with type 1, you need type 1 experts on your team, a super squad to help you achieve your dreams.”
Since 2015 the Type 1 Diabetes Family Centre has been offering support for Western Australians living with type 1. Built just for people with type 1 diabetes, by people with type 1 diabetes, the Family Centre has made an immeasurable impact on thousands of lives.
“But we don’t want to stop at the border, as we believe that all Australians should have access to our dream team, wherever you are across Australia,” Mr Jardine adds, noting that type 1 allied health support is the perfect candidate for telehealth, as it can be delivered straight into the comfort of a patients home or office.
“That’s why we are smashing down the barriers of geography and launching our National Virtual Type 1 Clinic, giving people from all corners of our vast country access to our team of type 1 clinicians. Every one of us lives and breathes type 1, it’s all we do,” Mr Jardine adds.
Virtual Clinic appointments are now available and can be booked online at https://www.type1familycentre.org.au/telehealth
