Support for Your Health Journey
For Caregivers
At times, managing diabetes can be like uphill climb. Supporting those you love can make all the difference.
Visit Diabetes.Org
Diabetes affects millions, but its impact goes far beyond that.
It affects everyone—family, friends and loved ones.
When a family member, especially a child, is diagnosed, it sends an emotional shockwave. What are the medical costs? What about getting proper care? How can you help manage diabetes at school? Suddenly, you have the world on your shoulders. But you also have support. There are countless ways to help your loved ones live a healthy, happy life. Reach out and ask for help. We have it for you here.
Talk to a Health Care Provider
Too often, it can be hard to know where to start when you find out someone you love has been diagnosed with diabetes. Ask your health care provider what you can do to keep your loved one safe and healthy. Reach out to other parents or family members who have been impacted by this disease. You are now part of a worldwide community. And asking for help is the first step in supporting your loved one’s journey to health.
Parents: It’s a Challenge You Can Meet Head On
Hearing that your child or loved one has diabetes can be a shock. But after that shock wears off, know that there are plenty of things you can do to help along the way. Sure, daily life with diabetes can be a challenge, but it’s a challenge you can meet head on.
With planning and preparation, you can get back to daily life and resume your routine activities. You can help make physical activity part of every day. You can create a balanced eating plan for your loved one—one that everyone can live with and thrive on. Throughout it all, know that diabetes can’t keep your loved one from doing whatever they want or achieving their highest goals. There are Olympic athletes with diabetes, as well as professional football players, politicians, actors, rock stars and CEOs. So, take a deep breath. You can do so much to make sure the people you love are thriving as they manage their diabetes.
Keep Them Safe at School
When you’re a parent, you feel like you can keep your children safe as long as you’re with them. For parents of children with diabetes, that feeling is even louder. That’s why our Safe at School® campaign works to make sure that the diabetes management needs of students are met so your children are healthy and safe when they are at school and out of your sight.
By working as a team, families, health care providers, and school staff can make sure that your child is being taken care of. Through Safe at School, newly diagnosed children can depend on school staff to monitor their blood glucose (blood sugar) and administer insulin. In addition, there can be trained school staff on hand who can recognize and treat high and low blood glucose and administer emergency glucagon.
Overview
Diabetes must be managed 24/7, and for children with diabetes, that includes time spent at school or school-sponsored activities like field trips and extracurricular activities, in child care programs, and at summer camp or recreational programs. Our Safe at School campaign works to make sure the diabetes management needs of children are met so they are healthy and safe and able to enjoy the same opportunities as their peers.
Federal law gives students the right to receive the diabetes care they need to be safe and participate in school activities just like any other child.
Schools should provide the following:
Trained staff to monitor blood glucose (blood sugar) levels and administer insulin and glucagon
Trained staff to provide diabetes care during field trips, extracurricular events, and all school-sponsored activities
Capable students permitted to self-manage their diabetes anytime, anywhere
Schools should not:
Make family members go to school to care for a student’s diabetes
Transfer students to a different school to get needed diabetes care
Prevent students with diabetes from participating in field trips, sports, and other school-sponsored activities
Read about your child’s rights under Section 504, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and other federal laws.
