The DAFNE Programme

DAFNE stands for Dose Adjustment for Normal Eating.

DAFNE is a way of managing Type 1 diabetes and provides people with the skills necessary to estimate the carbohydrate in each meal and to inject the right dose of insulin.

DAFNE involves attending:

• a five day training course (9am to 5pm Monday to Friday);
• a follow-up session around eight weeks after the course; and
• yearly half-day top-up sessions.

The structured teaching programme is delivered to groups of six-eight participants. It covers topics including carbohydrate estimation, blood glucose monitoring, insulin regimens, hypos, illness and exercise.

The DAFNE course is about learning from experience. During the week you practice the skills of carbohydrate estimation and insulin adjustment under the supervision of DAFNE-trained nurses and dieticians.

Most of the training is built around group work, sharing and comparing experiences with other people with Type 1 diabetes. However, there are opportunities for each person to speak to a doctor, nurse or dietician individually.

DAFNE allows people to fit diabetes into their lifestyle, rather than changing their lifestyle to fit in with their diabetes.

The aim of DAFNE is to help you lead as normal a life as possible, while controlling your blood glucose levels, which reduces the risk of long-term complications related to diabetes.