You have just learned that your family member or friend has been diagnosed with Diabetes. Oh My Gosh! How terrifying for them and for you. Now what is next? What should you do? What CAN you do to help? You want the very best care and outcomes for your family member or friend. You want to ease their fear and concerns. You want to help them better cope. Diabetes is a difficult disease to cope with alone. Yes, you can make a huge difference in the way your loved one adjusts and copes with their new diagnosis.
Educate yourself and in turn, educate your loved one. Research the disease on the internet, check out a book or ask your nurse or doctor where you might gain information. Find out where there is a support group nearby and offer to attend it with them. You should learn the signs to watch for and what constitutes an emergency for diabetics. Learn to differentiate between high blood sugars symptoms and high blood sugar symptoms and what you can do to treat this.
You can help them to eat healthy and avoid foods that are bad for them. Help to find new recipes for your diabetic friend. When you make a tempting desert, go the extra mile and make it dietetic. Learn to use artificial sweeteners in your iced tea and have it available for coffee time. By doing these small things, you are helping to make it easy for your friend to stay within the diet guidelines of managing the disease.
You can be there for your loved one. Encourage them to talk about their fears, feelings and concerns. Let them know that you know this is scary and stressful and that you are there to listen and help where you can. Let them know that you care enough for them to learn all you can about the disease and act on what you learn. Help them get involved in caring for themselves.
Talk to your friend or family member; let them know your intentions. Ask them if it is okay for you to “but in” when you feel you need to. Most of the time, they will be relieved to know that you are there for them. If you see your diabetic friend doing something that might endanger them or may cause complications of their condition let them know it!
