How You Can Support A Loved One Diagnosed With Prediabetes Or Diabetes

How Can You Support A Loved One Diagnosed With Prediabetes Or Diabetes?

The support of their loved ones is very important while battling this disease to feel better. However, if you are a caregiver, you might feel confused as to how you may offer help. Here are some tips that might be useful to understand how to care for someone with diabetes or prediabetes. 

9 Ways To Support Someone With Diabetes Or Prediabetes:

Learn More About Diabetes And The Treatment

Diabetes is a chronic disease that develops due to insufficient production of insulin in the body. There are mainly three types of diabetes: type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes. Find out which type of diabetes is your loved one suffering from. There are many modes of treatment involved – oral medications, insulin injections, etc. Understand how their diabetes is being treated so you can support them in the process. 

You also need to educate yourself and break the stereotypes that have built around diabetes such as one should not exercise during diabetes, you need to cut down on sugar altogether, etc. Knowing more about these myths and facts will help you support your loved ones better.

Help Manage Medications

People with diabetes need to take medications as prescribed. However, many times they face problems with taking their medicines. They might face troubles while reading the prescription, or opening the bottle of the medicines, owing to the various complications caused due to diabetes. In this case, you may provide some significant help to them with their medications. Even if they don’t have any trouble while having medicines, you may still help them by reminding them of their pills and making sure they don’t miss any.  

Encourage Them To Eat Healthy Diet

One of the best ways to manage diabetes is a healthy and nutritious diet full of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. This is one area where your loved one might need your support the most. If they see any food that they are trying to avoid, the chances are that they will not be able to resist it. Therefore, you may provide your support to them by not eating anything unhealthy in front of them and eating the same healthy diet that they are supposed to eat.

Become Their Exercise Buddy

Exercising is extremely important to manage diabetes. However, the problem with exercising is that it might get exhausting and tiring after a while. Therefore, many diabetes patients tend to leave exercising after some time. In this case, you may become their exercise buddy and start working out with them. If they have a partner to work out with, they feel accountable to exercise. It helps them keep going and also aids in making workouts cheerful rather than a tiresome activity. 

Be Aware Of Drop In Blood Sugar Levels

In diabetes, sometimes people experience a condition of extremely low blood sugar levels, called hypoglycemia. It usually happens during exercising. The common symptoms of hypoglycemia are fatigue, weakness, lack of coordination, etc. Educate yourself regarding these symptoms and be mindful of them whenever you are with the patient. If you see any of these symptoms, immediately check their blood sugar levels. If their blood sugar levels are low, serve them carbohydrates in the form of glucose pills, juice or any snack.   

 Attend Diabetes Support Group With Them

Diabetes is a disease that might become overwhelming and frustrating with time. Your loved one needs a place to vent out their frustration and also feel supported. Support groups help them to feel less lonely and more motivated. You may accompany your loved ones to support groups to make them feel confident and encouraged to participate. Support groups also help caregivers to understand better about coping up with the disease. Therefore, it may also serve as an outlet to better understand your feelings and emotions regarding diabetes.  

Go to Doctor’s Appointment With Them

Many diabetes patients find it extremely dreadful to go to their doctor’s appointments. The nervousness can make them feel demotivated and very low. You may offer to help them by taking them to their doctor’s appointment. To cheer them up and make them feel better, you may also take them shopping or any other fun activity afterwards. If you cannot go to their doctor with them, you may also stay connected with them via phone call to make them feel supported. Going to see their doctor with them can also be immensely helpful to you as you will understand better about the treatment involved and will be able to help better.  

Help Them Relieve Their Stress

Find some recreational activities that you can do with your loved ones. People with diabetes need to relieve their stress. With such a rigorous routine of diet, exercises and medicines, they may feel left out and bored. You may join a reading club with them, watch a movie or go to a comedy show. You may also attend a meditation session with them which will help them relieve stress and anxiety building up around the disease. 

Create A Positive Outlook

The most important thing to do as a caregiver is to create a positive atmosphere around the patient. If they ever feel low, you need to tell them that things will be better. You need to remind them of the journey they have taken so far and how good they have been. You should never lecture them about staying healthy. Otherwise, they will feel low, overwhelmed and create a negative outlook for the disease.   

Reference Links:

1. https://www.healthline.com/health/support-someone-living-with-type-2-diabetes
2. https://healthtalk.unchealthcare.org/how-to-support-someone-with-diabetes/
3. https://www.diabetes.co.uk/supporting-someone-with-diabetes.html
4. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/library/features/family-friends-diabetes.html