73yr old diabetic with advanced glaucoma which causes blindness?

Her diabetes is poorly controlled as she lives alone and has become increasingly confused i have been asked to visit twice daily to prepare and supervise her meals.What communication problems might i encounter and how would i overcome these?

I don't think communication is her main issue here.

It sounds as though she needs to have a thorough assessment from a suitable health professional to find out if there is any reason for her increasing confusion - she could have something as simple as a urinary tract infection.

If there is no medical reason for a delerium, then she may have a dementia and will need to have a dementia screen. Which should include an assessment to see if she is cognitively intact and safe to live alone.

If she is cognitively intact then her consent must be obtained for all interventions, otherwise consent is given by a power of attorney or legally appointed administrator.

If she is able to remain living in her own home, then she may require some suitable community supports.

The types of things that will need to be addressed are medication management, diabetic management, falls risks and safety, shopping, housework, transport, personal care and social issues.
She might also benefit from a referral to the local blind society for aids to help her cope as her eyesight deteriorates. These aids should also help her to communicate, and be communicated to.

Does the lady have any family, and are they supportive?

Someone must have asked you to prepare and supervise her meals, so go to them and express your concerns so that a plan of action can be put into place.
Her GP would be a good place for her to start.

I hope this helps.

eat lots of cereal and pasta! great confidence booster! ok!

Have her examined by an Endocrinologist and an Ophthalmologist as soon as you can. Her blood sugar levels are out of control which can cause her confusion. Sounds like her blood sugar level is falling too low. Make sure she has snacks which are easy for her to prepare herself. Peanut butter on crackers is a good snack that she can keep on the table next to her at all times. Cheese cubes are also a snack high in protein. Diabetics need to eat at least 4 small meals per day and a snack before retiring to keep their BS levels in check. Good luck.

There are diabetic classes being held in most hospitals.
If you both attend that would help educate the two of you on the most recent studies.
When I became a diabetic I had no idea there were two kinds.
With different meal structure.

I find the best way to deal with confused patients is to ask the same question in two different ways or repeat their answer to them, this helps you to gauge their level of confusion, which can vary from hour to hour or even question to question. The blindness you can deal with, but the confusion is a concern. Watch closely when giving medications, as confused elderly tend to feel they don not need their meds, and may hoard them in the side of their mouth. Once you think the person has swallowed, ask them a question, and watch their mouth as they answer, to see if there are any sudden shifts of the tongue or cheek. Another problem may be their reluctance to eat. Try engaging them in conversations about what they ate when they were younger, and try to cook things similar. Ortherwise ask them to decide what they would like for dinner. When serving meals, set the dinner up like the face of a clock, and then direct their hand to each item stating the time, ie: dinner at 6o clock, drink at 3 o'clock salt and pepper at 10 o clock. Honestly, from experience, a confused elderly patient is similar to a child in the methods and techniques I use (obviously without being patronizing) and it rarely fails. Good luck

I work in a home for the elderly and you may come across many problems not just with communication. You say she is confused, and the diabetes is poorly controlled, this lady should not self medicate and should have some one do it for her as she might forget and and you would not know, she sounds like she might have a form of altzimers.

If you are not in the profession then I would consult the lady's family and discus options about her safety which is the most important. I would ask to speak to this lady's own G.P to have this lady assessed to see if she is at risk of isolation and malnutrition and things like that. This is a very hard subject to go into detail about on a forum like this as there is so much that one should know when caring for the elderly, however I hope this has helped and that you can sort things out for the lady's benefit.

the family or her socal worker should have explained the full story to you. Her communication should be good unless there are more prombems