About Us
Our holistic approach to managing diabetes, the Winelands Diabetes Centre is happy to have Discovery as part of their multidisciplinary team, helping them to assist patients to achieve their ultimate goals: effective management of the condition.
Born Out of Compassion
The Winelands Diabetes practice was born out of compassion for people living with Diabetes Mellitus. It is a condition that influences not only the person diagnosed but the whole family. The diagnosis can be devastating especially when it is a young child diagnosed with type 1 Diabetes Mellitus.
Our passion at Winelands Diabetes Centre is to take the hands of everyone involved, to guide and equip them for the new way of life. We strongly believe in a multidisciplinary team approach as every member of the team has a unique value to add.
The Winelands Diabetes Centre is located in Paarl, Western Cape and opened its doors in 2014.
The centre is the brainchild – and dream-come-true – of Diabetes Nurse Educator (DNE) Sr Kamaretha Beckert.“I’ve been in the field of diabetes for over 20 years and have always wanted to provide a facility where people living with diabetes can find a team of professionals under one roof to help them along their journey,” says Sr Beckert. “This holistic, multidisciplinary approach is the gold standard in optimizing diabetes management today and I’m so grateful that our Centre is able to offer this to our patients”.
Education is Key
“Diabetes mellitus is a disease that affects all aspects of life, it should not be regarded as an illness but rather as a condition that each patient needs to learn how to manage. Our primary aim is to empower them with the necessary education to understand how their bodies function and the effect of their medication in order to control their diabetes. The more you know, the better you’ll be able to do this.”
It's a Team Effort
Sr Beckert explains that their Centre provides the professional services and expertise of a team that includes Dr Stephanie Strydom, a GP with a special interest in diabetes mellitus, whose role is to oversee therapy and refer to specialists when necessary. “We also have an in-house Dietician, Psychologist and Biokineticist, and collaborate with an Optometrist for retinal screening at a nearby centre. Every member of our team shares a common goal of offering patients the necessary support they need in order to lead full, happy and normal lives, which for us is the most rewarding part of the diabetes journey.”
Going the extra mile to help young children
Sr Beckert’s main passion and area of expertise in the diabetes field is with children. “Sadly we’ve been seeing an increase in diabetes in young children in recent times,” she says. “And they need so much support as they have such a long journey ahead of them. They need to know they are not alone and that they have a team who cares about them at their side.
Right from the start, we try to engage the whole family, teachers, carers and extended family members to support our young patients. The children are then specially trained and rewarded to handle their condition as early as possible in life.
Examples of rewards:
- Certificates that they can display in the school
- Recipe books
- Literature regarding Diabetes that is related to their age group
- Stationery
I know how scary a new diagnosis is for the parents and grandparents of little ones so I always make myself available to offer support. I never say no to callouts to hospitals to see new little patients and their families, and my phone is on 24/7. I get calls at all hours of the night – usually from concerned mothers and grandmothers – when you’re anxious that period between 2 am – 8 am is a very long, very lonely time”.
The Diabetes Care Programme makes a difference
Find out more about the Diabetes Care Programme
Our Mission Is to take the hands of those suffering from this medical condition, and gently guide them into a new and brighter way of life.
