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Benefits and Pensions MonitorEmployers Tackle Diabetes
Organizations are not rating diabetes as something they need to pay attention to. They’re not making the connection between diabetes and its complications,” says Catherine Lewis, the project manager of the Canadian Diabetes Association Healthy Workplace Initiative. Lewis says that many people don’t tell their employers they have diabetes, fearing they’ll be ostracized or discriminated against. As a result, companies don’t have an accurate sense of how many employees are truly affected by the disease. The facts are clear. Canada’s population is aging, obesity rates are rising, and lifestyles are increasingly sedentary. And 77 per cent of new Canadians come from populations that are at higher risk for type 2 diabetes, often people of Hispanic, Asian, South Asian, or African descent. With these facts firmly in mind, wise employers are looking at employee education and programs in this area.
However, these programs shouldn’t be viewed as simply an employee perk, but as smart strategies with far-reaching benefits. “This isn’t just a nice idea, it’s good business,” says Fred Holmes, national practice leader for group health and welfare at Buck Consultants in Toronto. By encouraging employees to stay healthy and supporting an environment that fosters a balanced lifestyle, organizations benefit from lower drug-plan costs, decreased absenteeism, a reduction in injuries, and an improvement in both the quality and quantity of production. Positive Signal Employers that make health a priority also send a positive signal to employees. By showing their support for healthcare issues, employers help reduce turnover and facilitate recruitment. “It’s a necessity given the ‘baby bust’ that will follow the baby boom generation.” Also, the financial burden of diabetes and its complications on the Canadian healthcare system is enormous. A person with diabetes incurs medical costs that are two to three times higher than that of a person without diabetes. A person with diabetes can face direct costs for medication and supplies ranging from $1,000 to $15,000 a year. Diabetes and its complications cost the Canadian healthcare system an estimated $13.2 billion every year. By 2010, it’s estimated these costs will rise to $15.6 billion a year and by 2020, $19.2 billion a year. Diabetes On The Job The challenge for employers regarding diabetes is twofold. It’s to provide workers with the tools to ensure that they’re doing as much as possible to prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes and to assist and educate those workers living with diabetes around blood sugar control, a key component of managing the disease. This will help achieve the goal of preventing, or at least delaying complications, like heart disease. The Canadian Diabetes Association Healthy Workplace Initiative is a new initiative that will, firstly, educate employers about the connection between diabetes and other health conditions and, secondly, foster an environment that reduces stress and promotes healthy lifestyles. Often unknowingly, employers place stress and heart disease, both complications of diabetes, as the health conditions that have the greatest effect on their productivity. Ultimately, the goal is to help reduce the onset of type 2 diabetes. Lewis observes, “We know that employees that come to lunch-and-learns already know about diabetes. We need to reach employees who don’t realize that they could be at risk, but also that they can prevent it.” What Employers Need To Know Type 2 diabetes is a chronic progressive disease affecting approximately two million Canadians. Characterized by high levels of sugar in the blood, beta cell dysfunction, and an underlying defect called insulin resistance, diabetes is far from being a ‘touch of sugar.’ Left untreated or poorly managed, it wreaks havoc on the body. Over time, abnormally high blood sugar damages large and small blood vessels and dramatically increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, limb amputation, and eye disease. A leading cause of death by disease, type 2 diabetes can shorten life expectancy by five to 10 years. “Type 2 diabetes does not have to compromise quality of life. Through proper disease management, we can delay or even prevent serious complications,” says Donna Lillie, vice-president, research and professional education, Canadian Diabetes Association. “Physicians and government bodies need to work together to ensure people with diabetes have access to, and are receiving, the best possible treatment so they can look forward to fulfilling lives without the devastating impact of heart, kidney, or eye disease or limb loss.” Caroline Tapp-McDougall is the publisher of Solutions: Canada’s Family Guide to Home Health Care and Wellness and the author of The Complete Canadian Eldercare Guide. |
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