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Diabetes is a challenging diagnosis that millions of families across the United States face each year.

Why do we say “families” instead of “individuals”? Because the emotional toll, necessary lifestyle changes and possible side-effects of diabetes almost always influences lives outside of the person who gets the diagnosis. Additionally, loved ones play a critical role in helping people with diabetes live a full and happy life.

Children, parents, siblings, and friends can all be an important part of a diabetes treatment plan. However, those who live and share their lives with a diabetic loved one – spouses, life partners, or significant others – often have the biggest impact on a diabetic partner’s health. Here are some tips for those who are supporting a diabetic spouse or partner.

1) Plan for date nights that don’t involve unhealthy food, sugary treats or questionable menus.

For many couples, “quality time” and social activities often come with a menu – and usually not a very diabetes-friendly one! When date night rolls around, people with diabetes can feel torn between the wants of their partner and the need to follow a diabetes-friendly diet.

A spouse or significant other can alleviate this stress by not putting their partner in a position where they have to choose between their health and fun dates. Instead, come up with shared activities that support the diabetic treatment plan.  This can include active pastimes like bowling, golf, walks in the park, going to the theatre (skip the candy this time!), dancing, card games, or sharing a healthy meal at home.

While it may be a change of pace for some couples, finding a couple shared activities that don’t lead to dietary difficulties is a good place to start when building a diabetes-friendly lifestyle.

2) Empower a diabetic loved one to take control of management tasks like blood sugar testing, regular appointments and, insulin taking.

One mistake spouses can make is becoming too integrated into their partners’ treatment plans. While sometimes a third party does need to be responsible for things like testing blood sugar (for example, if a diabetic person has severe dementia), those who can manage their own health should be empowered to do so.

That said, there is no harm in spouses keeping an eye out to make sure their partner is regularly checking their blood sugar and following doctor’s orders. After all, two heads are better than one! However, the goal should be to help the diabetic partner to manage things independently. For example, a spouse can ask if their partner checked his or her blood sugar, or remind them of appointments if it comes to mind – but they should also help put reminder systems in place like phone alarms and calendars to make sure their spouse has a handle on these daily tasks in the future.

If a partner or any loved one notices consistent mismanagement of diabetes, the best course of action is to raise the issue with a person’s family doctor. Often, diabetes management training or tools like a continuous glucose monitor can help in these cases.

3) Support a diabetic spouse by joining in their lifestyle changes.

One of the best things about a diabetic meal plan is that it can be a healthy change for anyone, even if they are not personally diabetic. While people without diabetes don’t need to be as strict about their eating habits, there’s no harm in eating better and moving more! People with diabetes will find the lifestyle changes a lot easier with their partner right by their side. Plus, it makes meal planning way easier when both people are eating the same thing.

4) Get educated!

The more a family knows about diabetes, the easier it is to care for a loved one with the diagnosis. Here are a few easy ways to get started:

• Learn about diabetes management, including glucose testing, dietary restrictions, and exercise. This will help you plan for daily life and even special trips that are safe and healthy for a diabetic spouse.
• Discuss issues related to feet and eye care with your doctors and specialists. Blindness and lost limbs are common side effects of diabetes, but they can often be prevented through the simple use of special care, regular appointments and diabetic shoes – all of which are covered by Medicare.
• Speaking of Medicare, it’s a good idea to learn all about what’s covered by family and government plans! We made a list of everything Medicare covers for Americans with diabetes, which you can check out here.

For recipes, guides, worksheets, and more, you can also check out our list of “Top Resources for Americans with Diabetes.”

Getting therapeutic shoes and other resources for a spouse with diabetes

At No Cost Shoes, many of the calls we get are from children and spouses seeking Medicare-covered shoes for their loved ones. Many can’t believe that Medicare covers shoes for Americans with foot issues and diabetes, but the realization can be a game-changer for families.

To find out if you or your spouse qualify for shoes at no cost, fill out our online application or call us at 1-866-923-2423.

We are a Medicare-accredited supplier who helps thousands of families across the U.S. access the support they need to live a full and happy life together with therapeutic shoes, continuous glucose monitors, and other support aids.