Diabetes care at home

Insulin support will depend on the person's individual care arrangement, prescribed insulin regimen, and care plan. Where insulin administration is included, it should only be provided by someone with the appropriate training and in accordance with instructions from the person's healthcare professionals. Consultus can assess an individual's requirements before care begins and explain what support can safely be given. This ensures that any insulin-related assistance is appropriate to the person and integrated into their wider diabetes management plan.

Hypoglycaemia, commonly called a hypo, happens when blood glucose becomes too low, generally below 4 mmol/L. Signs can include shaking, sweating, confusion, hunger, and a rapid heartbeat. Hyperglycaemia, or a hyper, means blood glucose is too high and may cause excessive thirst, frequent urination, fatigue, and blurred vision. Both need appropriate attention. Someone providing diabetes support should understand the individual's agreed care plan and know when medical advice or urgent assistance is required.

A continuous glucose monitor provides regular glucose readings throughout the day and night and can alert the user when levels move outside a specified range. Where appropriate to the individual's care plan, a carer can support someone who uses a CGM by helping them check readings and respond appropriately to alerts. The exact support provided should reflect the person's needs, the device being used and instructions from their diabetes healthcare team.

Consultus provides different live-in care options depending on the level of support required. Diabetes live-in care allows an individual to remain in their own home with a carer available to support everyday routines such as meals, personal care, mobility, and appropriate diabetes-management tasks. For people with more complex clinical requirements, live-in nursing may be more appropriate. A Care Consultant can discuss each person's circumstances and help the family determine which service best matches their needs.

The cost of diabetes care at home depends on the service chosen and the complexity of the person's individual support requirements. Someone requiring primarily practical assistance may have very different needs from a person requiring more complex nursing support. Consultus is committed to transparent pricing, so families can understand the expected costs before putting care in place. Contact the team to discuss your circumstances and the most suitable care option, or see the live-in care costs page for further information.

A person may benefit from additional support if they are finding it increasingly difficult to follow their established diabetes-management routine independently. Examples can include missed medication, difficulty preparing appropriate meals, problems monitoring blood glucose or repeated episodes of low or high blood sugar. Changes in mobility, eyesight, weight or general health can also make everyday management harder. If you are concerned about a loved one, their healthcare team can advise on their medical needs, while Consultus can discuss suitable home-care support.

Healthy routines can complement, but should never replace, prescribed medication or advice from a diabetes healthcare team. Depending on the individual's circumstances, helpful habits can include staying appropriately hydrated, eating a balanced diet, maintaining regular physical activity, monitoring blood glucose as advised, and following prescribed medication routines. Sleep and stress management can also support general wellbeing. Diabetes live in care can help someone maintain consistent daily routines where managing these independently has become difficult.

Water is generally a suitable choice for staying hydrated because it does not contain sugar or carbohydrates. Unsweetened drinks may also be appropriate, whereas sugary drinks can increase blood glucose quickly and may need to be limited depending on the individual's diabetes management plan. However, there is no drink that should be treated as a substitute for prescribed diabetes treatment. Anyone considering significant changes to their diet or fluid intake should first discuss them with their GP, diabetes nurse or dietitian.

Lifestyle recommendations vary according to the individual, but may include maintaining a healthy weight, eating a balanced diet, taking regular physical activity, limiting alcohol and stopping smoking. Consistently following prescribed medication and blood-glucose monitoring advice is also important. Sleep and stress management can contribute to wider wellbeing. A person's diabetes healthcare team should provide individual advice, while diabetes care at home can provide practical day-to-day support with maintaining the routines they have recommended.