By Guest Blogger Mary Emma Allen

It’s difficult enough when you family member has no health problems other than Alzheimer’s, but when there are other issues, such as diabetes, their care becomes more complex for family caregivers and for staff at nursing homes.

Here are 7 tips which hopefully will make diabetes care for Alzheimer’s patients a bit easier:

1. Learn about diabetic diets, especially if you’re the one preparing the food.

2. Learn about your family member’s medical needs.

3. When your family member resides in a nursing home, make sure you note this on the forms you fill out. Diabetes should show up in their health records, but be sure you have it documented… every place possible.

4. Coordinate with caregivers at the nursing home and make sure they know your family member has diabetes. Monitor diet at a nursing home or with a caregiver in the patient’s home.

5. You’ll find a diabetic Alzheimer’s patient becomes forgetful about medications and diet. They eventually won’t know why their diet is restricted and may rebel against this. Don’t take it personally when the patient gets upset with you as they lose the ability to comprehend diet and medication.

6. Seek advice from the patient’s physician about their care. Being informed makes it easier to cope.

7. Remember you aren’t expected to know and do everything, only the best you can!

(Guest blogger Mary Emma Allen co-authors Alzheimer’s Notes at the Science and Health Channel, as well as Home Biz Notes at the Business Channel. She writes Quilting and Patchwork at b5media’s Lifestyles Channel. She cared for her mother and aunt who had Alzheimer’s. Her aunt was a diabetic.)

Post from: Blisstree

Guest Poster Mary Emma Allen Shares About Alzheimer’s Patients With Diabetes

Over 13 thousand children in the United States every year are diagnosed with juvenile diabetes, known as type 1 diabetes. Knowing the symptoms of juvenile diabetes is critical because type 1 diabetes can be mistaken for many other illnesses.

JDRF’s Walks are family-friendly, held at great locations, and feature plenty of entertainment, food, and fun. We invite you to become one of the 500,000 people at our 200 Walk sites nationwide this year who are making a difference in the lives of people with type 1 diabetes. You’ll have a great time, get some exercise, and, most importantly, be a part of the cure!

Juvenile diabetes affects the child diagnosed as well as the whole family. There is a “new” normal that comes with the daily care and treatment. Type 1 diabetes also has many emotional demands. The coping mechanism for each family is different. Knowledge helps delay the onset of complications. Get informed!

Please help JDRF raise awareness about the warning signs of type 1 diabetes—a chronic, debilitating autoimmune disease that is most often diagnosed before the age of 30. As with many diseases, early diagnosis goes a long way toward preventing serious health problems, and even death.

Post from: Blisstree

Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Walks Raise Awareness Of Type 1 Diabetes