Diabetes and dementia

[lizdeluz]

Does anyone have any experience of coping with these two diseases together? I wonder, regardless of what Type you are, how you manage to cope with continuing to self-medicate? If you are a caregiver, either at home, or in a care home or warden-supervised residence, for someone with diabetes and dementia, do you find that you have plenty of support with the diabetes aspect of his/her care?

 

[hels]

This is something I've thought about recently so am interested in anyone's experiences too.

I have type 1 diabetes which was diagnosed a couple years ago at 39. I have good control at the moment through low carbing and lots of testing. The thought of not being in a position to strictly control my blood sugars does slightly concern me. Both my mum and grandma suffered dementia when older and

 

[donnellysdogs]

I asked my consultant about this recently. I'm a t1 of 30 years and with a pump. I just mentioned how getting dementia or blindness etc scares the pants off me... And not being able to manage my own pump.
She said that by that age they wouldn't insist on such good control and I would more than likely revert back to injections....and my levels would be allowed to run higher.

Its a horrible thought that you've tried to look after yourself all your life and can just be "let loose" having complications and problems caused because nobody will be able to manage your bloods as you can....

I'm in my early 50's and the thought of it really does bother me.

 

[lizdeluz]

I asked my consultant about this recently. I'm a t1 of 30 years and with a pump. I just mentioned how getting dementia or blindness etc scares the pants off me... And not being able to manage my own pump.
She said that by that age they wouldn't insist on such good control and I would more than likely revert back to injections....and my levels would be allowed to run higher.

Its a horrible thought that you've tried to look after yourself all your life and can just be "let loose" having complications and problems caused because nobody will be able to manage your bloods as you can....

I'm in my early 50's and the thought of it really does bother me.

Yes, exactly, I agree with you, that idea of being "let loose" from our monitors/meters/pumps is not a great thought!

I feel this is a relatively 'new' problem because of increasing life-expectancy, greater use of technology and higher expectations of a good quality of life and independence into old age.

It begs the question to what extent we can control our diabetes ourselves if we have dementia, but also just the perhaps failing faculties of old age, and to what extent family and caregivers can receive training to cope on our behalf with our medication.

I lost my Dad recently. He had been living in a care home where he received very good care and had been in quite good health apart from having moderate-stage dementia, involving severe short-term memory loss, which meant that he could no longer live alone. (He was 97 and had hardly ever visited a doctor!). He was not diabetic.

The reason I posted this question is to try and find out from others on here what medical care is like for older diabetics and for diabetics with other health problems, especially as diabetes is a risk factor for other diseases.

Diabetes is a difficult condition to manage even when young, fit, otherwise healthy and fully cognisant and clued-up. Many of us know a great deal more about how to control it than do our health care providers just because it requires constant personal monitoring that they are not in a position to do. However, what about if you can no longer do this for yourself, maybe because of mobility, eyesight or other problems, like dementia? Do you feel there is enough help out there for people in this situation?

Maybe forewarned is forearmed?

 

[hels]

No, I fear there is not enough help in the management of diabetes (or other conditions) in those who cannot fully manage it themselves. I think there is probably a certain amount of 'oh well they are old and losing it anyway' attitude.

 

[lizdeluz]

No, I fear there is not enough help in the management of diabetes (or other conditions) in those who cannot fully manage it themselves. I think there is probably a certain amount of 'oh well they are old and losing it anyway' attitude.

Could well be. However, it's not only old people for whom this is a potential concern. Yes, the elderly population is becoming a larger part of society so it will have a greater influence and maybe burden on health care, but also there will be an increasing need for improvements in meters and pumps so that they are more easily managed by all PWD with their additional conditions.

 

[Eurobuff]

No, I fear there is not enough help in the management of diabetes (or other conditions) in those who cannot fully manage it themselves. I think there is probably a certain amount of 'oh well they are old and losing it anyway' attitude.

I can only agree with this statement, as I've had personal experiences with 3 diabetic relatives that were either in a care home or hospital (where I thought they would have known what they were doing). It isn't only the medication that you've got to worry about, it's the food that the patients/residents are given to eat.

My uncle was in hospital and given a banana & ice cream for desert, after his meal of cucumber sandwiches. When we queried it with the nurses they assured us it was fine. They did his BG and it was 27. They just shrugged and said it was fine. When my auntie was in hospital and in a care home she was given biscuits, angel delight, and just about everything with sugar in. My uncle & auntie were the type of people that would say "yes doctor / no doctor" and not query anything.

My mother on the other hand is not that type of person! They tried to treat her like this, but she wasn't having any of it, and told them in no uncertain terms! She was told they didn't really cater for diabetic diets but after she "educated" them, they did try.

I think the moral of the story is, kick up and make a fuss, although I understand that with dementia this probably wouldn't be possible.

 

[donnellysdogs]

Worries me having no children or relatives to kick up a fuss for me!!

Having just worked in care homes for short whiles I just am glad that the statistics for me going to need one are reduced....

To me if you can't have the same care as you've given yourself then its abuse.

 

[lizdeluz]

I asked my consultant about this recently. I'm a t1 of 30 years and with a pump. I just mentioned how getting dementia or blindness etc scares the pants off me... And not being able to manage my own pump.
She said that by that age they wouldn't insist on such good control and I would more than likely revert back to injections....and my levels would be allowed to run higher.

Its a horrible thought that you've tried to look after yourself all your life and can just be "let loose" having complications and problems caused because nobody will be able to manage your bloods as you can....

I'm in my early 50's and the thought of it really does bother me.

Yes, I don't really accept this state of affairs, do you? I'm hoping that by the time We reach our dotage, (!) I, or at least you ( I'm 60, you're in your early 50's so more hope for you ) that the CONSULTANTS WILL HAVE UPGRADED THEIR VIEWS ON TREATMENT OF PEOPLE WITH DEMENTIA AND DIABETES.

It's interesting that Alzheimer's is also known as Type 3 diabetes, as is mentioned on another thread, and that, diet is a factor that may be implicated in its onset, as well as dangerous swings in blood sugar levels.

Meanwhile, we can help ourselves by our lifestyle choices, good diet, and keeping active, playing chess, doing the crosswords.