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Managing diabetes for your elderly loved one

There may come a time when your loved one can no longer manage their diabetes because of illness, physical changes or age- related reasons leaving you with the task of aiding them.

 There may be many reasons why they can’t manage it any more, it could be physically not being able to administer syringe medication or certain dietary needs or it could be due to cognitive impairment.

It is advisable to take an easy non-invasive approach. Remember your loved one has been managing their own diabetes successfully for some time. When signs are evident that you may need to assist or intervene, speak to your loved one about their diabetes care, compiling as much information as possible. Healthcare professionals will give you guidance on what you will need to ask and what you need to be on the lookout for. The clinical management of diabetes can be assisted greatly by healthcare professionals knowing as much as possible about how the diabetes condition has been managed up to now.

Look for any changes, even the small changes both physical and mental. It’s also worth factoring in that your loved one can be affected by depression more as they age. Keep an eye out for any changes with this too. Best advice is: trust your loved one to guide you on their management of this condition and then keep intervention as gentle as possible

Here are some useful links about Diabetes

https://www.diabetes.ie/

https://www.hse.ie/eng/health/hl/living/diabetes/

https://www.facebook.com/DiabetesIreland/

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