insulin dependent diabetic with Alzheimer's and vascular dementia

Mrs Manning

I am new to this forum as well as learning the ropes of Alzheimer's -  does anyone have any experience with diabetic Alzheimer's patient who uses insulin? My husband had a way too low sugar a couple of weeks ago, and I questioned him and he insisted he didn't over use insulin. However, last night, he "confessed" he used the wrong insulin the night before.  I can't imagine him letting me give him his insulin - normally, I could just "help" but he has his hours all messed up and usually doesn't eat his second meal until 1-2 AM and does his 24 hr insulin at midnight (after my bedtime).  Any suggestions welcome!

Emily 123

It seems like it’s time for you to set up some sort of aid if your husband is still able to follow the steps. Best thing is to limit the available medications to just what he needs. No more ad lib accessing his pills, and that would include moving the over the counter meds to where he can’t see them too.  My mom was taking her am vitamins, convinced they were her prescribed meds. 

For a while she could use the pillbox (link below) on her own as I had placed the pillbox, an Alzheimer’s clock, and a calendar to check off every day together on the bathroom counter, but eventually I had to start putting the pillbox next to her plate each am/ pm.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07WZRVX23/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

You’re going to have to assist with crosschecking his insulin doses and hand ( or leave) a single dose out each time, unless you can move his mealtime up to before you go to bed. 

May I suggest that you also cross post this on the spouse forum? They are a wonderful group, and they’ve seen it all!

Stuck in the middle

Welcome to the club.  

I have taken over control of my wife's medications.  She will skip doses, take my meds instead of hers, or whatever if I don't help her.  She wants to take her meds as prescribed, but she just can't figure it out.  I make it more palatable by taking my meds at the same time she takes hers, as in "Let's take our meds now, Honey."  

Sounds to me like you are going to have to take over deciding when he eats and when he takes meds, rather than letting him live on vampire time.  I'm not a doctor, but what I know of diabetes suggests that consistency is the key to management of the disease.  

As AD progresses, you will find more and more things your husband cannot do.  And you will have to take over those things, one at a time, until you are doing it all like a single parent with a toddler.

Quilting brings calm

Please call the doctor that prescribed the insulin. It most likely can be taken earlier in the evening since there is a greater likelihood of it being taken if you are awake to supervise. My spouse is on  Tresiba at bedtime.  He takes it about 8:30pm.  If he misses it, he can take it in the morning and then again that night - as long as it’s been 12 hours since the  last dose.

M1

Mrs M you are right to be concerned. For most adult diabetics, low blood sugar is far more dangerous than high. If he’s a type 2 diabetic, going into keto acidosis from high sugars is extremely unlikely, while lows from too much insulin could kill him in a heartbeat. I would definitely have a long discussion with his doc. Either you take it over, or they may want to even consider discontinuing insulin at some point.

Good luck-my partner is not diabetic, but she hasn’t been able to manage any of her medications for at least two years now.