Caring for a loved one with diabetes can feel like walking a tightrope. You want to provide support, but you don’t want to seem overbearing. Should you remind them to check their blood sugar? Is it okay to suggest different meals? What if your help feels like pressure rather than support?
If these thoughts sound familiar, you’re not alone. Many caregivers struggle to find the right balance in diabetes family support, wanting to help without overstepping. The good news? There are practical, compassionate ways to offer support for diabetics while respecting their independence.
In this guide, you’ll learn insightful resources to help you feel confident in your role of providing the right kind of support at the right time.
How Can I Help a Loved One with Diabetes?
Assist with Meal Planning
Adapting to a diabetes-friendly diet can be challenging, but you can help make it easier by:
- Planning meals together – Choose foods that are rich in vegetables and protein while keeping carbohydrates and sugars in check.
- Creating a weekly shopping list – This ensures they have everything needed for balanced meals.
- Suggesting simple, healthy meals – For example, grilled chicken with oven-roasted vegetables is both delicious and suitable for managing blood sugar levels.
- Helping with meal prep – Preparing meals in advance can prevent the temptation of unhealthy options.
- Encouraging portion control – Using smaller plates or meal prep containers can help manage portion sizes.
Offering support for diabetics in the kitchen ensures they stay on track without feeling overwhelmed.
Help with Medication Management
Sticking to a regular medication routine is important for people with diabetes, especially for seniors who may also be dealing with dementia or Alzheimer’s. You can assist by:
- Creating an easy-to-follow medication schedule – A simple printed chart or phone reminders can be helpful.
- Setting up pill organisers – Weekly pillboxes can prevent missed or double doses.
- Checking in regularly – A quick phone call or visit can help ensure they’re following their medication plan.
- Keep emergency contacts handy – Knowing the details of their doctor or pharmacist can be useful in case of any concerns.
- Encourage them to chat with their doctor if they’re experiencing side effects – Sometimes, small adjustments can make a big difference
A simple routine can make all the difference in keeping your loved one’s health on track.
Assist with Organising Appointments
Regular medical check-ups are essential for diabetes management, so helping your loved one stay on top of their doctor’s visits is a great way to provide support. Whether it’s marking appointments on a shared calendar, offering transportation, or accompanying them to their check-ups, your involvement can ensure they get the care they need.
Encourage Physical Activity
Exercise plays a key role in diabetes management, but it doesn’t have to be an intense workout. Encouraging daily walks or simple movement exercises can greatly improve their health and well-being. Whether it’s a short stroll around the block or a longer walk a few times a week, consistency is key. Your participation can also make it more enjoyable and motivating for them.
Assist with Body Inspections if Mobility is Limited
As people age, mobility and vision challenges can make it difficult to notice wounds or infections—something particularly concerning for those with diabetes. Support for diabetes patients doesn’t have to be complicated. It can include helping check areas of the body they can’t easily see, such as their feet, which can prevent complications. If you notice any concerning signs, encourage them to seek medical attention promptly.
Stay Positive and Encouraging
Living with diabetes can be overwhelming, so your approach matters. Keep conversations uplifting and supportive instead of focusing on the restrictions or risks. A little encouragement goes a long way in helping them stay motivated and confident in managing their condition.
Seek Extra Help When Needed
Caring for a loved one with diabetes is important, but it’s okay to acknowledge when you need additional support. Balancing family, work, and caregiving can be challenging, and professional services can offer much-needed relief. Diabetes family support services, like those provided by Vital Home Health Services, can ensure your loved one receives the best care while giving you peace of mind.
If you have any questions about support for people with diabetes, please get in touch with Vital Home Health Services.
Need personalised guidance? Our in-house Diabetes Educator can provide tailored advice for your loved one’s needs. Call us today or book a free consultation to learn more.
When it comes to supporting someone with diabetes, caregivers may not be sure of the best ways to support someone with this disease. Fortunately there are plenty of resources out there that give insight on how to best help someone without overstepping or upsetting them. We’ve put together a list of the resources we found to be most insightful.
Assist with creating meal plans
Changing one’s diet can be tricky, especially when you are making it diabetes friendly. Help them organise their shopping list and meal plans, creating a meal plan rich in vegetables and protein and low in carbohydrates and sugars. A simple go-to is grilled chicken and oven roasted veggies – delicious!
Help with management of medication
When living with diabetes, it’s important to take your medication as needed. Seniors who also live with dementia/Alzheimer’s may need reminding to take their medication, so it is worth creating an easy to follow guide that you can print out for your loved one as well as keeping a copy yourself so that you can check in with them to see if they have remembered to take their medication.
Assist with organising appointments
It’s expected that people living with diabetes will need to see a health professional frequently to ensure they are still in decent health. You can aid a senior living with diabetes by keeping their appointments in mind and accompanying them or even providing transportation to and from.
Increase physical activity
Help get your loved ones out and about and getting some physical activity done! This doesn’t need to be a long gym session – going for a walk is a great and easy way to get someone out of the house and active. Try and squeeze in a walk daily, or longer walks every few days. The key is to be consistent!
Help inspect areas of the body if mobility is an issue
As we get older it’s more and more difficult to move around as we once would. As diabetes can get serious if an area of the body is infected, it’s important to help seniors with inspecting areas of their body that they themselves can’t look at due to eyesight or lack of flexibility and mobility.
Be positive and encouraging
Living with diabetes can seem scary from an outside view, so put yourself in your relative’s feet and imagine being the person living with it. It’s important to keep conversations positive and keep your loved one’s spirits high rather than focus on the frightening aspects of this disease.
Seek help if you are unable to do it all alone
The final piece of advice is that family can only do so much when it comes to illness and disease, and that’s okay. So it’s important to recognize when the worry is taking a toll on yourself or when you don’t have the time to look after your relative full time whilst looking after your own family or working etc.
Vital Home Health Services can provide that extra support, care and assistance and may be a welcomed respite for both you and your loved one living with diabetes.
If you have any questions regarding supporting a loved one with diabetes, please get in touch with Vital Home Health Services, as we have an in-house Diabetes Educator who can assist.
