Family member struggling - how can I help them?

[ashspencer97]

My dad was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes little over 6 weeks ago. He lives alone and is in his mid 50's.

He already struggles with heart problems & sleep apnea so everything is taking a real toll on him lately. He isn't working due to stress & he's in the process of selling his other house to relieve some stress but the previous tenants left it in a state.

I'm wanting to try help by maybe meal prepping for him I just need to understand some meals I can help with.

What are some things your family/friends help with that I can do for my dad?

He's also been struggling with numbness in his legs/arms if anyone knows anything that could help this (could also be his sleep apnea/heart problems)

 

[Cherrelle DUK]

Hi Ash, welcome to the forum!

So sorry to hear about your dad's situation, it's not easy when loved ones are struggling. It can be tricky to help others as a lot of managing diabetes is making lifestyle changes.

Meal prepping is a really good option, have a look at this thread for some ideas and our main site for recipes https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/threads/what-did-you-eat-yesterday.30349/page-449#post-1043682

Meal plans and diabetes

Eating nutritious, healthy and downright delicious food is that bit easier with our meal planners. We've created multiple different weekly meal plans to suit all types and tastes. They're nutritionally balanced, are calorie and carb counted, and can help if you want to lose weight. They also...

www.diabetes.org.uk

Has he spoken with his GP about the numbness? It could be multiple thigs so it's worth getting checked out as soon as he can.

 

[Drummer]

I have sleep apnoea, but also a CPAP machine, which has sorted it out.
Most of the planning for meals I do is the shopping - meat, fish and sea food reside in the freezer along with frozen veges and berries. I buy fresh stuff, use it up in the days after shopping then move onto frozen until I go to the shops again.

 

[Inka]

Hi @ashspencer97 The best thing to do is to ask your dad what would help him. Sometimes it’s the little things that stress people out, and doing those for him could help. They could be simple things like making a phone call or collecting shopping, etc.

For meal prepping, help him choose some kind of plan (with the advice of his surgery maybe as he has a number of health issues). Do prep tasks he dislikes eg peeling and chopping veg. You can get physical Meal Planners (like a diary but where you plan a week’s meals and shopping) or online ones. Knowing what he’s going to eat and not having to think about it might remove one stress. It also helps with budgeting as less food gets wasted.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

My dad was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes little over 6 weeks ago. He lives alone and is in his mid 50's.

He already struggles with heart problems & sleep apnea so everything is taking a real toll on him lately. He isn't working due to stress & he's in the process of selling his other house to relieve some stress but the previous tenants left it in a state.

I'm wanting to try help by maybe meal prepping for him I just need to understand some meals I can help with.

What are some things your family/friends help with that I can do for my dad?

He's also been struggling with numbness in his legs/arms if anyone knows anything that could help this (could also be his sleep apnea/heart problems)

What a very kind and helpful thing to want to do @ashspencer97. Stress can also be a trigger for elevated BG, as can illness or injury. And stressful situations can make it harder to have the focus to develop a whole new diabetes-friendly eating plan.

In general terms T2 is a disregulation of glucose levels in the body, and in the diet carbohydrates form the main source of glucose. Some are simple sugars which are readily available, but the body is very efficient at breaking down all sources of carbohydrate including potatoes, pasta, rice, cereals, grains, bread, and most fruits. Reducing portions of these parts of meals generally makes them more BG-friendly.

Reactions to foods are very individual, and depending on where your Dad is starting from he may benefit from just small changes (smaller portion of rice and more accompaniment) or may need a more dramatic overhaul (replace rice entirely with lightly steamed grated cauliflower for ‘cauli rice’)

Certainly when I have been going through difficult or stressful situations it has been a great help to have friends and family delivering ready meals - or even just sauce bases, or meal components, so that making up the meal took far less effort.

Perhaps have a look at the threads that @Cherrelle DUK mentioned or Diabetes UK’s ‘Enjoy Food’ guide for some ideas and inspiration