Diabetes apps

[Robbie1507]

New to site, my 84 year old father has type one diabete, is there any device on the market that can monitor blood levels and send details to my phone

 

[42istheanswer]

Yes, there are Continuous Glucose Monitors and with type 1 diabetes your father should be prescribed one. The most common (Libre 2) he would need to scan periodically. The Dexcom One can be linked up to take readings automatically. If he doesn't have a phone that is compatible then he would need a reader device also, which would receive the initial data. (This would need to be with him for range reasons.) If he consents then your phone could be linked to the appropriate app so that the data also gets shown to you, but I don't think you could get alarms for low readings on your phone as that wouldn't be the primary device linked to the CGM

 

[rebrascora]

I believe the Dexcom G6 can be paired with another phone to give low and high alarms to a third party as parents use this to monitor their children's levels. The Dexcom G6 would be somewhat challenging to get on the NHS (time, persistence and lots of hoop jumping would probably be required) but it can be purchased privately at some considerable cost unfortunately. I think it is the only one which can send data to a third party in real time with alarms.
Hopefully someone will correct me if I am wrong.

 

[barrym]

If you want to go off-piste you could try Juggluco on Play.Google.com. It uses Libre 2 and can be used ‘just’ to hear the one minute BG levels, and forward to another person. I have never needed to use it in this way so can’t comment further. But in every other respect I use it successfully.

 

[Inka]

New to site, my 84 year old father has type one diabete, is there any device on the market that can monitor blood levels and send details to my phone

I’d think Dexcom G6 was your best bet. A parent of a child with Type 1 I know uses it and ‘follows’ on her phone (there’s an app) thus seeing her child’s blood sugar. You can also use things like Nightscout with Dexcom.

Libre 2 isn’t a CGM. It’s a Flash GM and you have to scan it.

 

[Robbie1507]

Thank your for your replies
I’ll contact the diabetic nurse at his doctors surgery for info,
Just getting more frequent calls from mum as she’s not so able to deal with his dodgy turns , he’s been type 1 for 70 years so not doing to bad.
I’ll keep updating on my progress.

 

[Bruce Stephens]

I’ll contact the diabetic nurse at his doctors surgery for info,

It sounds like the Dexcom G6 is probably the best option. It's not available on prescription from GPs in the way four others (including Libre 2) are, so he'd need to get that from a hospital team so that may take a while.

 

[Lucyr]

Thank your for your replies
I’ll contact the diabetic nurse at his doctors surgery for info,
Just getting more frequent calls from mum as she’s not so able to deal with his dodgy turns , he’s been type 1 for 70 years so not doing to bad.
I’ll keep updating on my progress.

if hes not under a hospital for treatment, then i'd ask GP to prescribe libre 2 as they cant prescribe dexcom but can provide libre 2. Then also ask to refer to hospital to ask about getting the dexcom. Both dad and mum could scan the libre2 and if they do it on a smartphone you'd be able to see the readings

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

The Dexcom version is called Dexcom Share, via the Follow app I think.

https://www.dexcom.com/en-us/dexcom-follow (US website, but the same functionality is available in the UK).

If you cannot access G6 via the NHS, it is available to self fund (which is what I have to do). In which case you could opt for G7, which I think may be slightly cheaper?

Dexcom G7 Glucose Monitor Device for Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes | Dexcom UK

Try the new wireless Dexcom G7 Continuous Glucose Monitoring device for managing type 1 and type 2 diabetes, our smallest and most intuitive CGM, without finger pricks.

www.dexcom.com