Category: Caretech

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic medical condition that affects your body’s ability to turn food into energy. The number of people diagnosed with the condition has been on the rise since the early 1980s, and according to reports by Diabetes UK is expected to hit 5.3 million by 2025.

We know how much type 2 diabetes affects the lives of older people – almost half of all diagnoses are in the over-65. So this blog explores the most common causes, symptoms and treatments.

What causes type 2 diabetes?

Insulin is a special hormone made in your pancreas that is essential for healthy living. It controls how and where your body stores fat and, more importantly, allows glucose to enter and fuel cells.

In people with type 2 diabetes, the insulin in their body doesn’t work properly, causing levels of glucose in their bloodstream to increase. This can damage their heart, feet and eyes, and over time lead to more serious complications.

It is difficult to determine the precise cause of type 2 diabetes. However, a number of factors can increase your chances of developing the condition.

Obesity

Of all the risk factors associated with type 2 diabetes, obesity is perhaps the most widespread. Estimates suggest 28% of adults in England are obese and a further 36% are overweight.

People who carry fat around their midriff are particularly susceptible to developing type 2 diabetes. This is because fat deposits around the pancreas can make it harder for insulin to reach other parts of the body.

Family history

The next most significant risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes is your genes. According to the global community diabetes.co.uk, your chances of getting type 2 diabetes increases by 15% if one of your parents has the condition and 75% if both do.

Your ethnicity plays a factor too. A study in 2012 showed that, compared to just 20% of European people, up to half of all South Asian, Black African and African-Caribbean people in the UK will develop Type 2 diabetes by the age of 80.

Age

Type 2 diabetes is the most common metabolic condition in older people. Those in later life are more likely to develop the condition because their bodies produce less insulin and their resistance to the hormone increases.

What are the symptoms of type 2 diabetes?

The signs and symptoms of diabetes are quite well known among the general population. But because the symptoms of type 2 diabetes can be mild or develop slowly, it’s not uncommon for people to live with the condition for a long time before speaking to their doctor. Here are some of the most common warning signs of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.

Urinating more often

When you have type 2 diabetes, your body is unable to use up the glucose you extract from your food so your body tries to flush out excess sugars via your urine.

Increased thirst

As your body tries to stabilise your blood sugar levels by making you urinate more often, your body can become dehydrated, making you feel more thirsty.

Genital itching or thrush

When your body flushes out excess glucose via your urine, the increase in sugars in your urinary tract can create an environment for microbes, leading to fungal infections like thrush.

Tiredness

Insulin resistance or a lack of insulin prevents the glucose in your bloodstream from getting into your cells. This means your cells can’t get the energy they need, making you feel tired.

Losing weight

Because your cells can’t get the energy they need from the glucose in your blood, your body may start to break down your fat stores to fuel cells.

Slow healing wounds

Cuts and wounds may take longer to heal because the high levels of sugar in your blood prevent nutrients and oxygen from reaching your wounds.

Blurred vision

If your diabetes goes undiagnosed for a long time, glucose can build up behind the lens at the front of the eye, causing the fluid in the eyeball to become cloudy.

What can people with diabetes do to treat their condition?

Many people living with type 2 diabetes find they can control their condition by making long-term, sustained changes to their diet and exercise. However, most diabetics will need medication eventually.

Diet

Today, the advice for people with types 2 diabetes isn’t to cut out sugar altogether. Instead, healthcare professionals recommend diabetics make healthier food choices and reduce the number of treats they eat on a regular basis.

Physical activity

Being more physically active is important if you have type 2 diabetes as it can help you lose weight. If you are overweight, losing a few extra pounds can reduce your blood sugar levels and even put your diabetes into remission.

Medications

There are a number of diabetes treatments available on the NHS. If you have had type 2 diabetes for a long time or changes in your lifestyle don’t improve your condition, your GP may recommend you take tablets or inject insulin.

Becoming a caregiver can be overwhelming. There is so much to do and learn that most new carers find the first few months pass by in a blur of appointments and form filling.

We understand how complicated the process can be. So seeing as it’s Carers’ Week, we’ve compiled five tips for unpaid carers, covering everything from paying for care to looking after your mental health.

1) Request a carer’s assessment

If you care for an aging parent, you’ve probably heard of a needs assessment, where your older parent is assessed by their local authority to evaluate how much support they need.

A carer’s assessment is similar but designed to gauge the needs of the carer. During the assessment, a social worker will ask you questions about your life to find out what they can do to help you support your family member.

Before attending your carer’s assessment, it’s worth thinking about how providing care affects your life. This includes how it impacts your physical and mental health, your relationships and your ability to hold down a job. You will also need to bring:

• personal information like your NHS number and your GP’s name and address
• your contact details and the contact details of anyone attending the assessment, such as a friend or professional advocate.
• the personal details of the person you care for

2) Check your eligibility for Carer’s Allowance

Carer’s Allowance is the primary state benefit for unpaid carers. For the tax year 2021/2022, it was worth £67.60 per week and entitled the applicant to receive National Insurance credits if they were under pension age.

You may be eligible for Carer’s Allowance if you are over 16 and spend at least 35 hours a week caring for someone else. The support you offer doesn’t have to be physical either. Emotional support, such as keeping someone company, is also recognised.

If you are worried about paying for care or supporting yourself, speak to a charity like Turn2us. They offer free and impartial advice to people who are struggling financially and can help you apply for state benefits as well as local authority and NHS funding. Use their benefit calculator to work out your entitlement and put together a financial plan for the year ahead.

3) Talk to your GP

When you become an adult carer, let your GP know so they can offer you more support. As a carer, you are entitled to free flu vaccinations and your practice will be more flexible with appointment times. With the consent of your loved one, your practice will also be allowed to share information with you about your parent’s health.

Remember that carers can fall ill themselves and the responsibilities of caregiving can take a toll on your physical and mental wellbeing. Speaking to your doctor and taking advantage of the free health checks carers are entitled to will help you look after your health and provide dependable long-term care.

4) Speak to your employer about flexible working

As an employee, you are entitled to ask your employer for flexible working after six months of continuous employment.

Employment law in the UK allows employees to apply for flexible working once a year; although some employers, particularly those that are more sympathetic to the needs of their employees, will allow you to submit another application if your circumstances change.

Flexible working takes many forms. Most of the time it includes arrangements like part-time work and job sharing, but it can also include flexitime, working from home and working compressed hours.

Whatever your options, it’s worth considering a trial period. Trial periods give you and your employer the chance to review how any changes to your employment will work without either of you committing to a permanent change to your contract.

5) Take breaks when you can

When you become a full-time carer, finding the time to do the things you enjoy can be hard. Having someone who depends on you day in, day out can make it difficult to relax, clear your mind and remember what it was like to focus on you.

Respite care is an excellent option for those who need to take a short break from being a carer. It gives unpaid carers temporary relief from looking after their relative and usually involves either live-in care, care at home (domiciliary care) or nursing home care.

Your council will provide respite care as a care option if your carer’s assessment or your loved one’s needs assessment indicates you need it. Be aware that you can only take a specified amount of time away from caring for your parent before your benefits are affected.