Help needed for totally blind insulin dependant friend

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Greenfingers

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Type 2
Hello all, as a well controlled type 2 on metformin for 25 years I now need help to find out who to turn to for support for my 65 year old friend. He had a stroke 10 years ago and recovered well (was still working but some loss of vision in one eye). He was also diagnosed as Type 2 and after a few years on Metformin was put on to insulin. During Covid he really struggled. He lost his job, his diabetes was not very well controlled - he had very little contact with his GP and his eyesight deteriorated. He is divorced, and not particularly close to his sister, son and daughter.

Over the last 6 months he has now gone totally blind and as he couldn't cope on his own he is in a care home. I have known him since we were 14 (His wife and I were best friends at school) My husband and I take him out every couple of months, for a walk or a bite to eat but don't live that close to him, and as I am also the registered full time carer for my disabled mum can't really get over to see him more often.
He is basically a scared, ill man who is deteriorating rapidly into a frightened, grumpy old man who feels he is isolated with nothing to live for.

I have been a member of Diabetes UK for 10 years and therefore know from the occasions I have read posts on here how helpful you all are so am asking for your input to make sure he is accessing all the help he can. The RNIB have hugh waiting lists in his area for people to teach him how to use a stick to get around; the home staff help with his general personal care needs (including his insulin injections) and his social worker has a huge case load of people who are much more open to help than he is.

Any suggestions gratefully received!
 
Unfortunately a future that awaits many.

Google "volunteer visiting service" & see if there's a local service that could offer visits to the care home.
 
Hi @Greenfingers

I lived for a year without sight, this was about 25 years back and Audiobooks helped me get through the days and nights. It is incredibly frightening and dark both physically & mentally living without sight but I listened to so many books that passed some time away from me totally dwelling inside my head.

There are so many more accessible things today -smartphones/tablets with accessibility functions, podcasts, magazine & newspaper subscriptions if he has hobbies/interests etc. This is a link for the National talking publications

Overview - National Talking Newspapers And Magazines - NHS

Disability information and support - Official information from NHS about National Talking Newspapers And Magazines including contact, directions and service details
www.nhs.uk www.nhs.uk

It's just an idea as I know it helped me so much.
 
Flower said:
Hi @Greenfingers

I lived for a year without sight, this was about 25 years back and Audiobooks helped me get through the days and nights. It is incredibly frightening and dark both physically & mentally living without sight but I listened to so many books that passed some time away from me totally dwelling inside my head.

There are so many more accessible things today -smartphones/tablets with accessibility functions, podcasts, magazine & newspaper subscriptions if he has hobbies/interests etc. This is a link for the National talking publications

Overview - National Talking Newspapers And Magazines - NHS

Disability information and support - Official information from NHS about National Talking Newspapers And Magazines including contact, directions and service details
www.nhs.uk www.nhs.uk

It's just an idea as I know it helped me so much.
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Thank you for the reply I will see if he has access to any of the talking publications
 
If he has WiFi in his room an Amazon Echo device would allow him to access radio stations, podcasts & ask for news summaries by voice, FOC. I not entirely certain but I think he could also access a free Spotify account from it for music, albeit with ads. Then there's also Amazon's music subscription as well as their Audible audio books.
 
RBZ5416 said:
If he has WiFi in his room an Amazon Echo device would allow him to access radio stations, podcasts & ask for news summaries by voice, FOC. I not entirely certain but I think he could also access a free Spotify account from it for music, albeit with ads. Then there's also Amazon's music subscription as well as their Audible audio books.
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Thanks, I am trying to sort that out at the minute- his room is too far from the carehome's router to get reliable wifi 🙄
 
Greenfingers said:
Thanks, I am trying to sort that out at the minute- his room is too far from the carehome's router to get reliable wifi 🙄
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Are they amenable to resolving that for him? I'd consider it a basic provision these days. As @fredhaf says, there are numerous potential solutions but often care homes are very old buildings, often managed by people with zero IT knowledge.
 
I'm going to the home tomorrow and Wifi is one of the things I want to discuss. We live in an old property and have a booster - they aren't easiest things to set up even in your own home but I will ask. I fear he is not very technically savvy - he was a steelworker and lorry driver when he worked so not really IT literate. I think a lot of the technical audio help might have to be set up on his phone rather than a tablet. Sadly I can only do so much on each visit;

do keep the ideas coming I appreciate it.
 
Wishing you lots of luck getting him some WiFi sorted. Wish I could think of any practical suggestions but I can't. I just wanted to say you are a star for trying to help improve his quality of life and keep him engaged with the world.
 
A common mistake made with extenders is to put them where you want the WiFi. All that does is extend the poor signal. They need to be installed somewhere between the router & the desired location, that still has a good signal. That way (hopefully!) the good signal is then extended to the desired location.
 
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