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So great news! Just got a call from a dad looking for care for his seven year old son. While I'm extremely happy and excited to get started, I'm a little nervous because he has type 1 diabetes and of all the things I've dealt with that is one I haven't yet. I do not want to just flat out say no but I guess I'm just wondering if anyone has had a dck with diabetes and was it easily manageable? He has an insulin pump so from what I've read so far I won't need to give him shots? I'm meeting with dad this week so I'll probably have a little more knowledge about it after that.
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Not a big deal. Talk to the parents about the pump and what you will have to do with it. Serve healthy meals and snacks, watching out for the foods that can cause blood sugar spikes. Carbs are the big ones and it is amazing the foods that are full of carbs you wouldn't know about, peas surprised me the most. Hubby loves them and I had to cut how often I serve them. Whole grains instead of white carb items, so brown rice instead of white, whole grain bread instead of white, etc. He can still have some carbs and sweets, but they have to be limited and most of us should limit them more anyway. If you keep the diet healthy that is half the battle. -
Please do your research about this. It IS a big deal and it's not as simple as just counting carbs and monitoring what a child eats.... its BOTH pre-emptive and reactive measures that make the difference.
Having a pump eliminates some of the issues but it does NOT mean you can just set back and let the pump do everything. Depending on his care plan, he still may need injections. Some do, some don't. Its not an exact science so no two days/people or situations are the same and what works for one person may not work as well with the next.
Type 1 diabetes IS a protected class and subject to discrimination laws under the ADA.
Bottom line is research ALOT, talk ALOT with the parents and find out your state's rules in regards to what you can and can't do according to your state's licensing regulations. For example in some states, you must have med training in order to administer things such as epi-pens or glucagon injections.
It IS a big deal. :confused:
Type 1 and type 2 diabetes is as different as having an upper respiratory illness and severe asthma.
One IS preventable and in some cases completely "reversible" while the other is a life long disease that severely impacts the quality and length of life.
Saying it isn't a big deal is not only inaccurate but very insensitive to those living with it.
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I don't mean to be insensitive, but I had two foster kiddos with type 1. Both were on insulin neither had pumps. Really I found I didn't have to change much with them as long as they had proper diet, proper spacing between meals and snacks, proper insulin etc. For me the hardest thing was making sure the blood sugar was checked when it should be. I would think that the parents in this situation can give enough info that it shouldn't be a big deal (maybe I am wording that wrong, I am saying big deal as in hard not as in it doesn't matter). I found that having two fosters with it (both of them at the same time at one point and time) wasn't hard for me to deal with or manage (how I meant big deal), and I had them 24/7. You do however have to be mindful that certain things have to be done.Please do your research about this. It IS a big deal and it's not as simple as just counting carbs and monitoring what a child eats.... its BOTH pre-emptive and reactive measures that make the difference.
Having a pump eliminates some of the issues but it does NOT mean you can just set back and let the pump do everything. Depending on his care plan, he still may need injections. Some do, some don't. Its not an exact science so no two days/people or situations are the same and what works for one person may not work as well with the next.
Type 1 diabetes IS a protected class and subject to discrimination laws under the ADA.
Bottom line is research ALOT, talk ALOT with the parents and find out your state's rules in regards to what you can and can't do according to your state's licensing regulations. For example in some states, you must have med training in order to administer things such as epi-pens or glucagon injections.
It IS a big deal. :confused:
Type 1 and type 2 diabetes is as different as having an upper respiratory illness and severe asthma.
One IS preventable and in some cases completely "reversible" while the other is a life long disease that severely impacts the quality and length of life.
Saying it isn't a big deal is not only inaccurate but very insensitive to those living with it.Comment
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It can be a little scary. I've had dcg for 6 years now, she just turned 7. They diagnosed her at almost 4 yo. She got a pump a year or so ago, making it a lot easier because she doesn't need injections. But she still needs to be closely monitored. Her sugar dived right before lunch, down to 50, I gave her 2 glucose tabs, and we had lunch within 10 minutes. You get to learn what their actions could be telling you. Her sugar numbers are always fluctuating but she's good at knowing how she's feeling too. Plus her monitor will alert her if she needs to check her sugar outside of her routine. If she has an active morning, it can cause her sugar to drop. If we don't count carbs right, it can affect it. Her mom is less than a 5 minute drive away so if anything gets pulled out(it's happened) she can come right away.
Yes, it can be very scary but it can be managed too. As long as dcps can be reached immediately and come right away, and you're comfortable with it, I'd say go for it.
She does have to be careful what she eats to a point. (At least according to her mom) Dcm says as long as we count carbs, we don't have to be as careful because the pump will take care of it, but I still am careful because to me, that doesn't sound right.
She eats lots of cucumbers, cheese and chicken here.
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Thriftylady, so you're saying it's not a big deal like not very hard to get used to or into a routine? Am I reading that right?Comment
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It can be a little scary. I've had dcg for 6 years now, she just turned 7. They diagnosed her at almost 4 yo. She got a pump a year or so ago, making it a lot easier because she doesn't need injections. But she still needs to be closely monitored. Her sugar dived right before lunch, down to 50, I gave her 2 glucose tabs, and we had lunch within 10 minutes. You get to learn what their actions could be telling you. Her sugar numbers are always fluctuating but she's good at knowing how she's feeling too. Plus her monitor will alert her if she needs to check her sugar outside of her routine. If she has an active morning, it can cause her sugar to drop. If we don't count carbs right, it can affect it. Her mom is less than a 5 minute drive away so if anything gets pulled out(it's happened) she can come right away.
Yes, it can be very scary but it can be managed too. As long as dcps can be reached immediately and come right away, and you're comfortable with it, I'd say go for it.
She does have to be careful what she eats to a point. (At least according to her mom) Dcm says as long as we count carbs, we don't have to be as careful because the pump will take care of it, but I still am careful because to me, that doesn't sound right.
She eats lots of cucumbers, cheese and chicken here.
Oh my goodness how did you deal with that? What happens when it gets pulled out? That freaks me out a little. I really don't want to treat him any different but I can already tell I'm going to treat him like a porcelain doll... 😟Comment
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Yeah, get info from parents, have them write it down if you need to. In fact with any kind of thing that requires special medical stuff I require it all in writing. But you will learn quickly how to do it all. Ask parents questions like "how does child act if blood sugar is to low?, What about if it is to high?, how often does child need blood sugar checked?, How often does child snack?". Have all those answers written down. Chances are the parents will already have it written down. It IS a big deal in the fact it is life threatening if not dealt with. But the fact that the parents have given you some info means it is being dealt with.Comment
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Talk with the parents first, like BC said, every one with diabetes is different. I know I've made mistakes(forgot to have her record carbs after a meal, forgot to have her check her blood sugar before a meal) and we always call dcm with what do we do now type of questions. It can get overwhelming because many of the times you have to be paying extra attention is when you're going to be serving meals, cleaning up from meals, IOW busy times. It's easy to forget.
Plus dcg has an iphone that she's always texting mom her numbers so that helps. If the boy is a responsible 7 yo and can do most of it himself, you should be okay. You'll learn a lot as you go along too.Comment
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I hate to say it but I didn't even know it had come out. Dcg comes into the kitchen and says 'I texted mom cause my sensor came out so she's coming up to put it in' I'm like okay.
She's very aware. And usually she's pretty much on the money when she says she feels low.
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Thanks everyone for the advice! The dad and I talked a little more and it will only be before and after school care after I get back from a vacation and officially open on sept. 14th (I'm going to Disney World!!!!) so hopefully it won't be too stressful and I'll be able to give him a good breakfast before the bus picks him up and a snack when he gets off the bus in the afternoon.Comment
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See the two I had were on insulin shots, I know nothing about the pumps. I am guessing they are easier but also have issues. Like the coming out and probably need a refill kit or something sometimes.I hate to say it but I didn't even know it had come out. Dcg comes into the kitchen and says 'I texted mom cause my sensor came out so she's coming up to put it in' I'm like okay. She's very aware. And usually she's pretty much on the money when she says she feels low.Comment
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My dcg knows how to enter all the info herself. Dcm takes care of any adjustments or sensors being pulled out, all those types of things. If dcg's numbers skyrocket I'm on the phone with dcm. If her #s dip, I have glucose tabs here for her and we recheck about 20 minutes later.
Dcg used to be on injections. I did it and dcg was really good about it all but I was so glad when I didn't have to give injections anymore. Giving shots after breakfast and lunch to a 4 yo was harder on me than on her I think.
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This will be me I can handle everything like that but hopefully he doesn't make a big deal about it hurting because I will just feel awful.
Reminds me of a time I pulled a BIG splinter out of a 2yo girl. I cried
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My foster boys said they didn't even feel them. The needles are small and I guess they just get them so much it is a fact of life or something. We had to watch my one really closely, they said it was because he went so long without being diagnosed, but he couldn't feel a difference between his blood sugar being 600 or it being 30. Nights were rough, because at least during the day someone was always right there to see how he was acting.Comment
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