I am worried about my friend next door. She is 91. I go over to visit etc. she has 24 hr care now and yesterday her bg was 230 before her meal- The caregiver tests it before she eats.
She has been on Metformin in the past and sometimes on insulin when she fell and was in a rehab center several times but they always took her off of it.
Her father had type 2 and died from heart related issues. He was on insulin for a long time. Hers was never treated until a few years ago I think and with metformin and diet.
Her ct said her bg has been as high as 500! And a nurse who comes to visit said she should drink water if it is high.
I’m pretty alarmed that a treatment appears to be that she is getting is told to drink water and I just don’t know if there’s anything I can do about this. Any ideas? I couldn’t even tell if she’s still on Metformin now from asking the caretaker. The last time I was there she told me her blood sugar was around 130 most of the time which is what it was when she tested her then.
There has been a lot of publication lately recommending less treatment intervention in the elderly because they think that the meds pose more risk than simply not treating the diabetes. However, I have seen some pretty negligent treatment.
It also very much depends on the motivation of the patient. Several years ago, my wife’s 90+ year old uncle was diagnosed as diabetic and he was really interested in talking to me about it on a regular basis and kept asking for advise. I helped him every way I could including better possible food options, light exercises he could do, I even gave him my spare glucose meter and plenty of test strips.
Not once did he even test his blood. I guess his point of view was that he was nearing end of life and was not about to change his habits. He passed away a couple of years later and his healthy wife died the following week.
My 97+ year old mother, however, spends so much time at the local hospital that they have joked for years that they will need to name a wing of the hospital after her. She does everything she can to stay in the best possible health.
I really think it is a combination of mind, body and surrounding circumstances that motivate the elderly where some want to stay healthy as long as possible while others want to let their life wind down until death. We can feel compassion for all, but it is important to give support to the elderly that can still think for themselves, not tell them how to live their life.
This is not a matter of telling someone how to live their life etc obviously…it is a matter of an emergency such as 500 blood sugars being treated with water which is a joke. My friend has numerous health issues, falling, fractures etc. and problems with her memory. I realize they are not treating it because they don’t want to deal with it and legalities but this is not ok. I have thought for a long time many of her issues have been largely from improperly treated diabetes and high bg.
In this case you should find out who has her healthcare proxy and talk with that person and if she does not have one, contact a family member to see if a proxy can be set up. Contacting relatives at this point is the best and really only course of action you can take.
I agree with you. Your doing the right thing. 500 is not OK. Talk with her, as well. Give her your phone number in case she doesn’t feel well. Its too bad we cant get a Dex on her. That would make your life easier.
You want her to die of old age and not diabetes, and at 91 she deserves at least that. Are you personaly allowed to treat her, at least for meals?" It just so happens I have some old transmitters (that would work using xdrip) and I could donate a sensor or two g5 dexcom. Privmsg.
No, I am just a friend and can’t legally treat her. I don’t know anything about how she has responded to past treatment or what she is on now etc. Ultimately a doctor needs to manage it.
All I can do is talk to her son and hope he does something. A nurse comes to see her and the caretaker would not be legally or medically able to manage treatment I think. She tests her blood sugar before she eats and keeps a record and the nurse tells her what to do, which is obviously useless.
A sensor etc would be great but I don’t know if she will want to do that or if she will understand or remember what I say about it. Even when she was in better shape physically and mentally when I discussed her treatment she seemed to think it was ok and she didn’t need insulin and she thought she was prediabetic but her a1c was 7.6 then I think.
I will have to text her son and talk to her next time I go over. I am not sure what reception I will get because her son basically told us not to interfere already when there was an abusive care taker. But calling the agency etc did produce a result. That caretaker never came back and she has someone much better with her 24 hrs now.
Yep dex would be great. If she will use it, but with her mental state it might cause her anxiety. She has my number but she is at the point where she does not really call, her memory etc is very bad and she is recovering from another fracture so I call and I go over when I can.
Yes do contact me. It’s almost a catch 22. To get a good mental state she needs her blood sugars controlled. After all she should die of old age not of diabetic illnesses. My grandfather died last year, he was 96 and was only poorly in his last week, he was lucky because he looked after himself in his own home right up until the end, so he never had anyone treating him like he was too old. I wish you good luck with the son.
Thanks, I have not been well myself and have not been able to work on this, soon though. Will visit on Friday hopefully. That is great he was so independent and was so healthy. Sorry for your loss.
