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Support and Encouragement for A Loved One with Diabetes Learning
to live with someone who has Diabetes and helping him to manage his condition
will take nearly as much effort as learning to live with the disease itself.
You have the power to make things a little easier for all concerned! Instead
of just assuming you know what needs to be done with regard to diet changes,
exercise routines, and insulin or medication dosing, ask for particulars! Go
along with your loved one when he visits his health professional, or set up a
time when you can meet with the health professional one-on-one to ask your own
questions, and importantly, seek a Diabetes education program for the two of
you to attend. The
best way that you can provide support, however, is in the day-to-day
management of Diabetes. Your loved one is going to have to deal with changes
in diet and physical activity, learn to monitor blood glucose levels several
times a day, possibly take one or more medications, and change his daily
routine to accommodate all of these. Your support will be invaluable to your
spouse, child, or friend as he learns to live well with Diabetes. Healthy
eating Healthy
eating is considered the cornerstone of Diabetes therapy. Fortunately, a good diet for
someone with Diabetes is simply a good diet, period! If you follow the same
healthy eating plan or one very similar, you are improving your own health and
reducing some of the feelings of “being different” that your loved one may feel. You are showing support for your loved one by joining him in
his fight, instead of just cheering him on from the sidelines. Be sure to
consult with your health professional before you begin a healthy eating or
physical activity program that is different from your usual routine. Changing
eating habits is never easy; in fact, it takes a lot of thought, planning, and
willpower to avoid or replace that morning muffin or afternoon snack. The best
way to change eating habits is by setting realistic goals and creating a
routine to help achieve those goals. Your spouse doesn’t have to quit eating all of his favorite foods “cold
turkey.” In fact, he doesn’t have to completely stop eating them at all!
The goal of healthy eating is to provide your body the best possible nutrients
and energy sources while maintaining good
levels of blood glucose and fats. Go ahead and have that muffin once in a
while or an ice cream cone on a hot day, but learn how to fit these favorites
into a good meal plan. Foods high in carbohydrates (carbs)—like milk, breads,
rice, potatoes, fruit, and sweets—raise your blood glucose. Foods with carbs
also are an important source of energy, vitamins, and minerals as well as
fiber, which is found only in foods with carbohydrates. About half of the food
you eat each day should be from these food groups, but the amount needs to be
carefully spread out through the entire day. Of course, carbs are not the only dietary nutrient that
affects Diabetes. Following a low-fat diet can help lower harmful fat and
cholesterol levels in the blood and can also help with weight control. Eating
a low-fat diet is relatively simple, but it will not necessarily be easy! You’ll need
to cut down on high-fat meats and dairy products, and watch those sweets that
contain more fat than sugar. Most restaurant food, especially fast food,
contains large amounts of oil or butter. This keeps the food looking and
tasting great, but loads it up with fat. Substitute high-fat meats (beef) with
meats low in fat (skinless chicken breasts). Substitute high-fat dairy
products (whole milk) with those that are low in fat/skim milk). Eat lots of
whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and learn how to make healthy choices
when eating out. Working with a Diabetes educator, particularly with a
registered dietitian, is extremely helpful in developing a personal meal plan.
For someone who is overweight, losing just 10 pounds can have a positive
impact on blood glucose levels, blood pressure, and blood fats! Physical Activity Another way to show support for your loved one in his
effort to manage his Diabetes is by setting up a schedule of physical activity
with him. Although you may dread the idea of a high-cost gym or exercise
program, or worry that your loved one will be overworked by a zealous trainer, keep in mind that physical activity
should not be intimidating. Any physical activity is exercise, even that
stroll through the neighborhood that you find so relaxing on summer evenings! Instead
of simply reminding your spouse to “get your exercise” each day, plan a time
for the whole family to be physically active together. Evening walks, weekend
hikes, a trip to the zoo, even an outing to a theme park or a day on the beach
will be beneficial! Find the activities that you all enjoy, and plan to do them
on a regular basis. These fun outings, along with other minor routine changes,
may provide your loved one with all the physical activity he needs! Your health
professional will also be able to offer some tips on how to get “exercise”
without spending a lot of money or feeling as though he had been put through
boot camp. Blood glucose monitoring Keeping track of blood glucose levels helps to evaluate
how well a healthy eating and physical activity plan is working. It can also
indicate if your loved one is above his target levels and whether he needs to
adjust his current meal plan or physical activity regimen, medication, or even
add a new medication. Also, encourage your loved one to remember to ask the
doctor to order the A1C blood test every 3 months to see what the overall
control of the blood sugar has been. Your
health professional will help your loved one to determine the target range for
his blood glucose. Make sure to call your health professional if your loved
one’s blood glucose is consistently over 130 mg/dL before meals. Medications When it comes to medications, you may think there is
nothing you can do to help your spouse or friend. You’re wrong. You can help
your loved one triumph over the biggest issue associated with medication:
whether or not the person takes the medicine as ordered. There are many little tricks and gadgets that can help
your loved one remember his medication, from verbal reminders or a simple alarm
clock to more elaborate pill boxes with slots for times, meals, and days. By
helping your spouse or friend comply with his medication regimen, you are
helping him manage his Diabetes. Self-management Self-management of Diabetes is so important because 99% of
the day-to-day care of the disease is done by the person with Diabetes, with the
support of his family or friends. A person with Diabetes must learn how to care
for his feet, how to adjust his carbohydrate intake, how to correctly take A
healthcare team can provide the education and skills training to educate you and
your loved one in what to do and how to do it. However, ultimately Diabetes care
is not the healthcare team’s responsibility. It is up to your loved one to
take control and manage his Diabetes. It all comes down to this... When
it comes to Diabetes, the more you know, the better you will be at judging the
severity of a low blood glucose reaction (hypoglycemia), the importance of one
or two high blood glucose levels, or the necessity for further healthy eating
and physical activity changes. Basically, you need to know as much or more about
Diabetes as your loved one does! If you understand blood glucose control, for instance, you
will be less likely to overreact when your spouse has a onetime level of 300.
It isn’t the end of the world! Such readings are sometimes unexplainable but
often mean that something in the person’s Diabetes regimen may need to change.
By seeing that need, you and your loved one are better able to work with his
health professional to work through the problem. If you know that your spouse has specific goals related to
healthy eating and physical activity, then you will be less likely to overreact
when he tells you about the ice cream cone he had that afternoon. As long as he
is staying within his recommended meal plan, it should be fine! One of the biggest things you should know is this: support
your loved one, don’t nag him. This is something that will get easier as you
learn more about Diabetes. You are less likely to pester your spouse about his
physical activity if you are joining him when he does it, or about his diet if
you know that the occasional ice cream won’t cause a huge problem. Support is
all about teamwork! Management
of Diabetes requires education, support, nutritional counseling, weight
reduction as needed, and exercise. When diet and exercise are not enough,
additional medication will be needed. Remember,
one day at a time and little changes, can make a big difference. Reference: Funnell MM,et al. Life with Diabetes:
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