The role of a diabetes caregiver is to give advice and support to the diabetic patient in the effort of practicing the needed self-care and act as the competent and knowledgeable guide.
A diabetes caregiver is a person who gives the patient all the advice and support so that the latter shall be able to manage his diabetes well. If you are one, try your best to find ways to know all the information about diabetes so you will be able to help manage not only the disease but the patient himself. Remember however that you should never directly or indirectly help the patient sabotage his health.
A caregiver’s main role is to assist the patient in his effort to follow what is required in the self-care behavior by being more competent and knowledgeable. The caregiver is expected to know everything about diabetes, how it works and how to use the tools for diabetes management. A very specific example of a diabetes caregiver is to know symptoms of low and high blood sugar, how to test it and how to do with it; so he would become better in giving advice and support to the patient.
A caregiver’s involvement may vary from one patient to another depending on how serious is the illness to that patient. The caregiver should develop a program for the patient to regularly follow, seeing to it that the medications are taken religiously and properly. The caregiver sometimes may use reminder tools, alarms, alerts, medicine calendar or notes to help remind the patient of the medication schedule. When it comes to medications, some caregivers see to it that the patient does not run out of medicine. They refill the medicines and keep the supply intact.
The diabetes caregiver may prepare the patient’s meals, extend his advice and support by limiting the presence of avoidable food in the diabetic’s house, follow the diet himself and give encouragement. He can recommend changes to the activities of the diabetic such as increased exercise or helping a patient follow exercise schedules. Sticking to exercise and diet regimen are important for the patient’s goal to lose weight, limit sugar intake and eating healthy foods. These are especially important for type 2 diabetics.
Giving emotional support tops the caregiver’s role. He is to give guidance for the patient to get along with some difficult lifestyle changes and make things easier for him. The diabetes caregiver keeps the patient on tract, gauge his progress, giving constant advice and support as well as encouragement and celebrate his achievements; these are vital things a diabetes caregiver can give his patient. He may also help find support groups for the patient from which the diabetic can get additional support and advice.
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