Diabetes is a demanding condition not only for the patient suffering from it but also for family members. Often, a spouse or parent will be their primary caregiver, a lifesaving differentiator for a person suffering from diabetes. Caregivers over a period are able to spot changes in blood glucose levels and help in making timely interventions necessary to prevent complications and in few cases medical emergencies also. The crux remains that caring for a patient suffering from diabetes requires more than monitoring glucose levels; a caregiver provides holistic care that encompasses medical, lifestyle and emotional aspects of care.
We spoke to our expert Dr Saikat Kundu, MD, Medicine as he explained tips to take care for a loved one with diabetes. Here is what he shared with us.
Medical Care
The first and most crucial aspect of medical care is monitoring and managing blood sugar levels. Apart from ensuring that patients take their regular medication, caregivers need to test blood glucose levels using the finger-prick test to keep a record of glucose levels and fluctuations to provide data to the doctor when required. While some patients are required to be administered insulin via injections, some are recommended foot checks daily. Caregivers have to perform and keep records of these equally crucial medical tasks. Most times caregivers are also required to understand more about a patient's condition and treatment plans to be able to handle diabetes-related complications or emergencies.
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Lifestyle Care
When doctors recommend healthy lifestyle changes, coping with them requires a lot of work on diet, exercise, and stress fronts. It is complex for caregivers to plan meals that are diabetic-friendly yet have a good balance of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Caregivers have to craft healthy food options that are compatible with patients' activity and exercise levels. Patients work with caregivers to build an exercise routine recommended by their doctors. Besides these lifestyle modifications, caregivers can also enable good sleep routines for patients to regulate levels and reduce stress. Caregivers also need to be equally vigilant about patients' smoking and drinking habits and try to help them curtail it slowly.
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Emotional Care
Emotionally, caregivers play an essential role in helping patients learn to live with their condition through unconditional support, making everything around them regular and routine. They have to consistently show up through the patients' treatment cycle and build them up emotionally for better health outcomes. Most caregivers should also make it to patient appointments to learn more about the condition and understand the treatment plan to ensure adherence. While being present to listen and talk to patients, caregivers have to lend emotional care to the patient by encouraging patients to seek professional support through counselling and patient groups to voice their frustrations and concerns. Caregivers also have to recognize their limitations while caring for patients and take time to heal themselves to be better providers.