Who would have ever thought that getting my bangs cut would lead to a long career in diabetes care and education? It’s funny how life works. Here’s my story how I got so passionate about helping people with diabetes that all started with a chance encounter.
I learned valuable lessons…the hard way. I want things to be easier for you so here are my tips.
5 Tips for Supporting Someone with Diabetes
1. Ask your loved one how you can help. Everyone is unique. What helps one person doesn’t help another. You can say something like “I know having diabetes can sometimes be hard and I want to support you. I want to give you the kind of help that you want and need. What can I do to help the most?”
Also ask what kind of support is not helpful? Between these 2 questions you’ll know how to spend your energy truly helping your loved one.
If they are not sure how you can help you may want to ask if they would like:
• someone to exercise with
• help with buying and preparing meals
• help to remember to take medications
• someone to go to appointments and take notes
2. Be honest and speak up if your loved one asks you to support them in a way you don’t feel like you can. Let them know what you can and cannot do. Agreeing to do something you do not want to do will feel like a burden.
3. Have the whole family follow a healthy plan. It is so much easier when everyone is eating nutritious food and getting plenty of physical activity. Getting rid of sweets and chips in the house helps everyone.
4. Do not be the diabetes police. No one likes it when someone says “You can’t have that!” or “Should you be eating that?” Even though you may mean well, it often backfires. People resent it, and many will eat things just because someone made a comment. It works much better for everyone to decide on their own what to eat.
5. Take care of yourself. Just like in an airplane emergency, it is important to put on your own oxygen mask first before taking care of others. Remember to take time out to relax and do things you enjoy. Taking care of yourself will allow you to be your best so that you can keep loving and supporting the most important people in your life.
My mother was diagnosed with diabetes, which is why I’m currently looking for a hazardous drug cost that offers syringes and other complex medicines. Anyhow, I’ll keep in mind to keep away the sweets and chips so she won’t be tempted to snack on them. We also share the same opinion about the importance of daily exercise.
Thanks for responding Rachel. It would be great if you can also find a dietitian nutritionist who can help her with a meal plan. If she lives in FL it could be me. Otherwise try https://www.eatright.org/find-an-expert. All the best–M