Salud y Vida (Health and Life) aimed to help program participants make healthier lifestyle decisions through education, skill building, and support. The program offered diabetes self-management education to residents of Hidalgo County, Texas, who were referred to the program based on a diagnosis type 2 diabetes and a HbA1c of at least 8.

Salud y Vida used Community Health Workers (CHWs) to provide culturally and linguistically appropriate diabetes classes and home visits. The classes and home visits focused on topics like nutrition, the importance of physical activity, and general diabetes management. Our CHWs encouraged every participant to have a medical home and actively seek healthcare and collaborated with participants to develop action plans to form healthy lifestyle habits. The program also provided qualifying participants with a glucometer to improve monitoring of glucose levels and track progress. Finally, an assessment of participants’ needs was offered, which helped to ensure that all participants had access to community resources for diabetes management.

Families that participated in Salud y Vida learned how to make healthy snacks with fruits, vegetables and lean meats.

Salud y Vida began in 2014 and concluded in March 2018.