InRange Diabetes centre opens in Dalby

Residents of the Western Downs who need help and support to manage their diabetes will no longer need to drive to Toowoomba after the opening of a new business. DETAILS.

Isabel Reeves and Skyelar Cox at InRange Diabetes

Western Downs residents living with diabetes will now have greater access to support after the opening of InRange Diabetes in Dalby.

First starting in Canberra in 2016, InRange Diabetes is a business which aims to support people with diabetes to live their lives normally and to “make diabetes come along for the ride rather than it controlling everything”.

Sole proprietor of InRange Diabetes and nurse practitioner Isabel Reeves said she was excited to officially open the new centre after it opened its doors in January.

“I’ve been in contact with a diabetes educator in Dalby for about eight years, she was doing her diabetes educator degree and couldn't seem to get a job up there or one that was suitable so I decided to employ her, bring her under InRange and support her to open up the clinic up there,” she said.

“We figured there was a gap in the market because there is only a diabetes educator coming up once a fortnight and I think there is a lot of diabetes education that doesn’t get done quick enough or not everyone is able to get seen.

“We are hoping to be able to support those people and be a support for people with type one diabetes because that is our passion.”

Ms Reeves said the new centre would help educate people on the condition of diabetes and improve their overall lives.

“We will offer diabetes education for those with type 1 and type 2, we will do group services, insulin pump starts and upgrades, continuous glucose monitors and we are really around all of the technology available,” she said.

“Depression is very high in people with diabetes because of the amount of things to do in a day so getting the information out there is important.”

She said regional areas often missed out when it came to diabetes support and the centre would help fill a gap in the market.

“In regional areas people with diabetes just kind of have to get on with it, that's kind of the mentality and yes it is something you have to get on with, but you can do it with some support and education that helps you along the way,” she said.

“You don't have to change everything about your life just because you have diabetes, there are some really simple things that can help. A lot of people in regional areas aren’t really seeing GPs or a specialist because they are a long way away.

“They would have to go to Toowoomba and what I’ve heard is some people won’t go and they will forgo the appointment which means they are usually going to be living with higher blood sugar levels which will impact their life and longevity.

“People in rural and remote areas aren’t as frequently on insulin pumps and they have been proven to help a person with type 1 diabetes to get their blood sugar levels in an area that will keep them safe and reduce the burden of diabetes.”

InRange Diabetes is open from Wednesday to Friday at Vital Health in Dalby.

Telehealth services are also available from Monday to Friday and can be booked here.