(BPT) - Did you know that more than 65 million people in the United States provide care for a chronically ill, disabled, or aged family member or friend during any given year?1 And for the 29 million Americans living with diabetes, it’s incredibly important to have the support of such family or friends who can help provide that care when needed.2
Kathleen Karelitz of Statesville, North Carolina, knows what an important role a friend can play in providing support in diabetes care. Kathleen was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at the age of 57, and though she had several relatives living with the condition, they didn’t often open up about it. So Kathleen turned to a close friend for help in adjusting her lifestyle to manage her diabetes.
“My best friend for the past 16 years, Margo, lives next door and has been instrumental in getting me to eat healthier,” Kathleen says. “We now have dinner together most nights to hold ourselves accountable. It’s more fun to cook and go to the market to get fresh foods when you have someone to do it with.”
Diabetes can affect many aspects of daily life, and a comprehensive approach to managing the condition includes healthy eating, physical activity, tracking of blood sugar levels, and in many cases, medication. This can seem like a daunting prospect to tackle on one’s own, but patients don’t have to be alone in managing their disease. And while health care providers play an important role in disease management, they are not the only ones who can help. Family and friends can be a great source of support in diabetes management, particularly when it comes to keeping up with changes to one’s day-to-day lifestyle. If you have a friend or family member with diabetes, these tips can help you support them:
Embrace healthy eating: Soon after her diagnosis, Kathleen began working with her health care provider to re-evaluate her diet. She has since learned to avoid processed foods, sweets, and going out for meals. As in Kathleen’s case, sometimes it can be difficult to cook healthy meals at home or avoid going out to eat. You can help your loved one in this respect by eating healthy foods together and paying attention to portion size. Diets that are appropriate for someone with diabetes are healthy for most, since such diets are lower in fat and carbohydrates.
Encourage physical activity: Getting the appropriate amount of exercise is an important part of managing diabetes too, and Kathleen’s diagnosis helped motivate her to establish an exercise routine. Kathleen, a long-time dog lover, has bred dogs for most of her life and trained them for competition in retriever field events. These days, she and Margo, who also has a background in dog training and breeding, take their dogs on daily walks as a way to get exercise—which has proven to be a fun and social way of ensuring she stays active. You can help your loved one to get moving by joining him or her! Arrange to do active things together, like taking a walk or bike ride, or even trying something new, like pilates or tai chi. If exercising together isn’t an option, help your loved one find the time to make exercise a priority. Remember to make sure your loved one talks to his or her diabetes care team before starting or changing an exercise program.
Educate yourself: Learning about diabetes was one of the most important steps Kathleen took in beginning to manage her disease. If someone you love has diabetes, learn as much as you can about the disease and how it can be managed. Knowing more about high blood sugar and low blood sugar can help you help your loved one. It’s also important that they speak with a health care provider to discuss treatment options that may help manage their diabetes.
With Margo’s support, Kathleen now has a positive outlook on her disease and is taking steps to manage it. She no longer looks at her diabetes diagnosis as a bad thing. “It was the push that I needed to improve things and make my health a focus,” says Kathleen.
© 2015 Novo Nordisk All rights reserved. 0215-00025476-1 April 2015
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