Sweet Tooth Blues: Home Care Tips For Caregivers in Controlling Sugar Binges
We have heard from many caregivers that are doing home care that the person they are taking care of is constantly sneaking sweets. That can be a real problem, especially if the person they are caring for is diabetic.
It seems the older someone gets, the more they crave sweets. If you are caring for someone who is living alone, it may be easier to keep track of sweets and how many might be available for consumption. You should be careful to dole them out so they don’t cause any adverse effects. You will need to be careful and instruct visitors that your patient is on a low or no sugar diet. If they must bring snacks and treats, advise them in advance that they may consider bringing snacks that are low in sugar. This will help you feel more at ease and your client with temptations. There are sugar free cookies and candies that can be purchased from regular grocery stores so it is possible to keep your patient happy and healthy in a sugar free environment.
If you are giving home care to somebody who is living with other family members, especially family members with children, it can be very hard to keep the sweets out of the house. It is not fair to ask the family to never have sweets, as it is important to remember that it is their home. However, you can ask them to help by keeping the sweets out of reach of the patient and to try and not eat them in front of them. You can approach them and let them know that this is in the best interest of their loved one and you are only asking because you truly care. You may suggest to have a separate place where these sweets are kept and even keep a lock on that cabinet.
If someone is craving sweets they will find a way to get to them and then you could have a medical emergency on your hands. Just as we mentioned above, you can suggest the purchase of sugar free candy and cookies if your client is having a craving that they feel they must give in to. When the family is having their treats or desserts, the sugar free snacks can be offered to the client so they do not feel left out or out of place. The ultimate goal for any caregiver that is giving home care is to help their patient live a happy and healthy life for as long as possible. Happy Snacking!