Hello everyone
(warning, this is a long post!!)
This is my first post and I joined so I could get as much information as possible to help my elderly father who has suffered from type 2 for several years.
My dad is almost 90, he is Spanish and he and my English mum live near Barcelona. My dad has had a variety of health issues for as long as I can remember but until the last few months he was up and about and despite his many aches and pains, getting on with life. Just after the pandemic I visited from the UK and hadn't been able to visit them for 1.5 years. I notice straight away his breathing and constant coughing and suspected COPD (he's been a heavy smoker all his adult life). Anyway, he was diagnosed with COPD and given inhalers for the last couple of years.
His sister, my aunt, died last July after a short illness at almost 95 years old, it was a terrible time and my father took her death extremley badly. He would speak to anyone, except my mum, for several months and I didn't see him until December. Last November he was rushed to hospital after his GP checked his heart and suspected arrhythmia. He was kept in hospital for 6 weeks and I was unable to visit as I'd broken my leg (everything always happens at once!). The Spanish health system is mostly excellent and he was given good care and many tests during his stay. His COPD wasn't great and he was put on oxygen. When he was discharged I saw the hospital notes and translated them. During his stay he had acute kidney failure and a condition which affects the internal nerves and organs, which I found out is diabetes related and a form of neuropathy (he also has neuropathy).
Essentially, despite being on tablets for type 2 for several years (along with having high blood pressure) his diabetes has not been under control - the pandemic caused serious issues with seeing a GP and things were not monitored. His blood sugar in hospital was sky high and has given insulin. He is now on insulin at home and my mum has to give him his injections. She has a glucose monitor and says it has improved but is still very much and down despite him following a diet.
My dad is now bed ridden, he is in extreme pain with the neuropathy and his other conditions. On top of this, his eyesight has been failing for some time and he also has glaucoma which was listed on his conditions. He had surgery for cataracts over a year ago but his vision did not improve and he complained about this but not much was done.
My dad has complained about blurred vision and we thought that when his glucose level was improved his eyesight would improve but having spoken to him last night, he is now saying he is virtually blind! He is telling me he doesn't want to live and he is close to the end, it is heartbreaking and frustrating as I am in the UK and not much I can do. My mother is also unwell and not contacting the doctor which doesn't help. When I visited in February I saw their GP and managed to get them a home visit but they have not returned since. I also arranged an appointment with social services for them but there is a very long waiting list. They don't have any friends of other family so it is a huge worry for me.
I get the impression that losing his eyesight is the end of the line for my father so I wonder if there is any chance from everything I have listed that his eyesight could improve at this late stage? I have read that glucose is hard to regulate in the elderly and when eyesight deteriorates it doesn't return, anyone else have experience of this.
Sorry for the detailed message but I felt it was necessary to explain the situation, thanks for reading!
(warning, this is a long post!!)
This is my first post and I joined so I could get as much information as possible to help my elderly father who has suffered from type 2 for several years.
My dad is almost 90, he is Spanish and he and my English mum live near Barcelona. My dad has had a variety of health issues for as long as I can remember but until the last few months he was up and about and despite his many aches and pains, getting on with life. Just after the pandemic I visited from the UK and hadn't been able to visit them for 1.5 years. I notice straight away his breathing and constant coughing and suspected COPD (he's been a heavy smoker all his adult life). Anyway, he was diagnosed with COPD and given inhalers for the last couple of years.
His sister, my aunt, died last July after a short illness at almost 95 years old, it was a terrible time and my father took her death extremley badly. He would speak to anyone, except my mum, for several months and I didn't see him until December. Last November he was rushed to hospital after his GP checked his heart and suspected arrhythmia. He was kept in hospital for 6 weeks and I was unable to visit as I'd broken my leg (everything always happens at once!). The Spanish health system is mostly excellent and he was given good care and many tests during his stay. His COPD wasn't great and he was put on oxygen. When he was discharged I saw the hospital notes and translated them. During his stay he had acute kidney failure and a condition which affects the internal nerves and organs, which I found out is diabetes related and a form of neuropathy (he also has neuropathy).
Essentially, despite being on tablets for type 2 for several years (along with having high blood pressure) his diabetes has not been under control - the pandemic caused serious issues with seeing a GP and things were not monitored. His blood sugar in hospital was sky high and has given insulin. He is now on insulin at home and my mum has to give him his injections. She has a glucose monitor and says it has improved but is still very much and down despite him following a diet.
My dad is now bed ridden, he is in extreme pain with the neuropathy and his other conditions. On top of this, his eyesight has been failing for some time and he also has glaucoma which was listed on his conditions. He had surgery for cataracts over a year ago but his vision did not improve and he complained about this but not much was done.
My dad has complained about blurred vision and we thought that when his glucose level was improved his eyesight would improve but having spoken to him last night, he is now saying he is virtually blind! He is telling me he doesn't want to live and he is close to the end, it is heartbreaking and frustrating as I am in the UK and not much I can do. My mother is also unwell and not contacting the doctor which doesn't help. When I visited in February I saw their GP and managed to get them a home visit but they have not returned since. I also arranged an appointment with social services for them but there is a very long waiting list. They don't have any friends of other family so it is a huge worry for me.
I get the impression that losing his eyesight is the end of the line for my father so I wonder if there is any chance from everything I have listed that his eyesight could improve at this late stage? I have read that glucose is hard to regulate in the elderly and when eyesight deteriorates it doesn't return, anyone else have experience of this.
Sorry for the detailed message but I felt it was necessary to explain the situation, thanks for reading!
