The National Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS) is an initiative of the Australian Government that commenced in 1987 and is administered by Diabetes Australia.
Aim of the NDSS
The NDSS aims to enhance the capacity of people with diabetes to understand and self-manage their life with diabetes. We also support people with diabetes by providing timely, reliable and affordable access to the NDSS support services and products.
Registration with the NDSS is free and open to all Australians who are diagnosed with diabetes.
To see if you are eligible to register with the NDSS, or for more information, go to the Registration section of the NDSS website.
Diabetes is a serious condition which affects a large percentage of our community. It causes a large number of complications throughout the body, but an area that is commonly affected is the feet.
Diabetes can damage both the nerves and blood vessels in the feet, which require special care in diabetic patients. Nerve damage is a concern because it means that patients cannot feel further damage to their feet, and are more likely to injure them without realising the extent of it.
Damage to the small blood vessels means that any damage will take substantially longer to heal compared to those patients with better circulation. It is because of this that diabetic patients need to pay particular attention to the health of their feet, especially if they have pre- existing foot problems such as high arches.
A supportive shoe is important to make sure that the feet are not rubbed and that pressure is spread evenly across the whole foot bed to avoid pressure points from forming which can lower the circulation even further. Homyped produce a range of diabetic friendly shoes which are endorsed by the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute.
