How to Support a Loved One With Diabetes

If you have a senior loved one who has been diagnosed with diabetes—then getting control of this disease can seem like a huge undertaking. While diabetes is an unfortunately common condition, it doesn’t mean that it is any less difficult to manage. If you are completely new to diabetes and the lifestyle changes that come with it—then it is important to know how you can support a loved one with this disease.

For the individuals actually diagnosed with diabetes, they must manage everything from insulin shots and medication to diet changes and exercise. However, being a supportive loved one isn’t always as straightforward, especially if you are responsible for helping care for that senior loved one with this diagnosis.

Start By Learning More About the Disease

While many people are familiar with diabetes, there are a lot of things that the average person doesn’t understand about this condition. There are many myths and misunderstandings about diabetes, and the more educated you are on the disease, the better prepared you will be to be an ally as they handle this condition.

There are several lifestyle changes your loved one will need to make, many of them revolving around diet and blood sugar management. One of the best things you can do is accompany your loved one to their doctor’s appointments so you can ask questions and collect information for yourself.

Create a Supportive Environment

If you are living with your senior loved one, or spending a great deal of time with them, then you want to make sure that you are creating a supportive, diabetes-friendly environment whenever they are around., Their support system should be on the same page when it comes to staying active and eating healthy. If you are eating together as a group, then make sure the meal is diabetes-friendly and don’t make your loved one feel out of place because of their nutritional needs.

Help Ease Your Loved One’s Stress

Stress is a very serious issue for any older adult—but it is particularly harmful for those with diabetes. Too much stress can actually raise blood sugar levels, which can make it extremely difficult to control diabetes. Being supportive and talking to your loved ones about their feelings and frustrations is a great first step. You can also start introducing other stress-reducing activities into their routine. This can include meditating, reading, walking, puzzles or gardening.

You also have to remember that while you may be policing things like your loved one’s snacks and activities to help them, this can also bring stress and frustration to their lives as well. Mood swings are a common side effect of fluctuations in blood sugar, which can make managing stress even more challenging. If the mood swings have become debilitating, you may want to help your loved one join an emotional support group to help.

All of these things can be a lot to handle on your own, especially if you are not familiar with diabetes. This is where different professional care services can come in. At Care Indeed, we know that different seniors require different levels of care and attention to manage this condition.

While being a supportive and understanding family member is a great first step, it doesn’t always make the actual day-to-day management of diabetes all that easy. We understand that diet is one of the most important components for proper diabetes management. We also know that this is the most difficult part of staying on top of your loved one’s disease. This is why we have come up with an exciting new product that helps take a lot of the work out of the equation.

Our new meal program, called CI-Meals offers healthy, fresh food options that are prepared for you. This means no planning, cooking or stressful meal prep involved with keeping your loved one on track with all of their healthcare needs. The right diet is the foundation for proper diabetes management and we want to make sticking with that diet easier than ever.

If you have more questions about proper diabetes management or have questions regarding our new CI-Meals product, contact Care Indeed today. Whether you need a full-time caregiver, are interested in CI-Meals or your loved one just needs occasional assistance—we are here to help create your perfect home care solution for you and your loved one.

Join us this November 12, 2020 for a monthly seminar featuring Vince Amazona, LVN, where he will discuss Diabetes management tips and resources on how to help a loved one or client living with the condition: https://www.careindeed.com/events/Diabetes-Management-Tips-Resources