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glucose monitors suggestions? - 3/16/2014 4:35:08 PM   
littlewonder


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So my mom finally came home from the hospital today and she is in need of all kinds of diabetic supplies along with tons of other meds and supplies now. Right now my sister just bought her the cheap diabetic glucose monitors and strips but my question is, is there a glucose monitor available that doesn't use strips? I thought I had heard a few years ago about a monitor that was all digital and didn't use strips anymore. Maybe it was something just in the works, I don't know.

If anyone knows of one or of a monitor that is easy to use for a 75 year old mentally challenged woman, I would appreciate it.

My mom is also on pills to keep her diabetes in check but they also gave her injections in case it spikes. They tried to teach her how to use them in the hospital but she just couldn't grasp it which means that if it spikes she will have to call my sister or someone to help her but if one of us is not able to get to her in time, then she's fucked. Unfortunately my mom absolutely refuses to move in with any of her kids to help take care of her. She has a nurse's aide who will be coming in to check on her from time to time but it's still not someone who will always be around for her.

So any suggestions anyone can give me about diabetes supplies, ideas to make it easier for her, etc....is immensely helpful.

PS: She is type 2.


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RE: glucose monitors suggestions? - 3/16/2014 4:47:02 PM   
angelikaJ


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I don't know how accurate they are, but I think there are bloodless meters that measure blood sugar by using light.
I have to ask: if your mom is unwilling to move in to be cared for by one of her adult children, even if you promised, being at home may not be realistically feasible for her.

Perhaps it is time to consider an assisted living facility that will encourage her independence as much as possible while still giving her medical care that will be adequate to help her live with her diabetic diagnosis.

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RE: glucose monitors suggestions? - 3/16/2014 4:48:37 PM   
shiftyw


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I am going to see what my grandfather uses...his announces it...and I thought it didn't use strips? But I can't really recall if I'm making that up in head.

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RE: glucose monitors suggestions? - 3/16/2014 4:53:14 PM   
JstAnotherSub


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If she has insurance, normally that will dictate the brand they want you to but. Check that first, and see if there is any leeway at all.

Glad to hear she is home, hope it all goes smoothly as she adjusts!

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RE: glucose monitors suggestions? - 3/16/2014 5:02:17 PM   
MAINEiacMISTRESS


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I too heard of that glucose monitor you mentioned, but I can't recall what it was. I'm sure you can find it somewhere online if you type in the right keywords.

You mention all the meds they have her on, and what a pain in the ass all the testing and medicating is......but did ANY of the docs put her on a strict LOW CARBOHYDRATE LIMIT? I'm just wondering, because it seems diabetic patients either aren't getting the proper advice, or else they are ignoring it.

I'm not ranting at YOU personally...I'm sure you are doing everything you can to help her, but so many diabetics I know eat far more sugar than I do even during My holidays, and then they spend all their time juggling meds and insulin injections to keep their glucose in check. It's frustrating when it's a loved one and there is nothing you can do to stop it.

I am finding Myself SURROUNDED by diabetics. A few subs I've been considering have it, both My Collared subs have parents with it, My neighbor has it (it sometimes spikes at 435), My husband's uncle died of it, My aunt recently died due to complications from it, and another of My aunts (by marriage) had to have both her feet removed. A vanilla friend's mother is now going through this. She is now BLIND and has had both feet amputated. All of them shared the same pattern.

With all these people, none of their doctors *MADE* them reduce their carbohydrate intake....most of these people I know were just under the impression is was *a SUGGESTION*. Their kitchens were/are full of sugary cereals, sugary drinks, jams, jellies, cookies, candies, ice creams, syrups, pastries, and soups and other prepared foods that are loaded with sugars and refined carbs. OF COURSE THEIR BLOOD GLUCOSE IS GOING TO SOAR.

Anyway, off My soap box...I'll ask around and see if anyone knows what glucose monitor you are talking about.

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RE: glucose monitors suggestions? - 3/16/2014 5:13:40 PM   
MAINEiacMISTRESS


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Welllll, whatdya know, I found one.

Accucheck Mobile stripless glucose monitor

http://www.accu-chek.com.au/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_303_303_-1_50909_301_301_301_Products

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RE: glucose monitors suggestions? - 3/16/2014 6:14:25 PM   
littlewonder


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Thanks MAINEiacMISTRESS!

I had done a search but for some reason I couldn't find one. Odd for me since I'm great at research. But being I know very little about the monitors I probably wasn't searching for it correctly.

I'm going to look into that one further.

Right now my mom apparently is signed up for Medicare but yet the hospital couldn't find any record and my mom, being mentally challenged doesn't seem to know if she is on it or not and now we have to wait to get her to some kind of elderly ombudsman who can walk her and us through it all but right now mom isn't able to get around well enough to get out and do that and the hospital refused to even help her or us with it all.

And the hospital didn't specifically tell us a diet for us for her except that she needs to be on a diabetic diet. Thankfully, my sister who lives near her and will be the one primarily watching after mom, has experience with caretaking since she took care of our dad who lived with her before he passed away so she is making up a meal plan for mom and will be either delivering meals to her or giving her a meal plan to follow.

As for assisted living, my mom doesn't have the money for it. She's living on less than $1100 a month and can barely afford to feed herself let alone anything extra. So that's where me and my siblings are now coming in to pay for stuff for her and pay off what bills we can.

I'm just hoping eventually my mom will break down and move in with my sister or one of us. Right now, if my sister forced her to move in my mom would just get up and leave or find someone to take her away from there. She's as stubborn as stubborn can get. She seems to think she's capable of taking care of herself when she simply isn't.

UGH. If I ever get to be like my mom when I'm her age, shoot me! Put me out of my misery!


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RE: glucose monitors suggestions? - 3/16/2014 6:29:38 PM   
angelikaJ


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Your mom's income is probably low enough that she could qualify for Medicaid (depending on what state she lives in).

Medicaid would pick up the nursing home tab anyway, once the house was used up as an asset, provided she is still living in the family home.

Being mentally challenged, she doesn't sound like she is capable of making any good care decisions much less implementing them.

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RE: glucose monitors suggestions? - 3/16/2014 6:42:52 PM   
littlewonder


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well the medicaid is what we're still trying to work on. Everything is just coming to a head right now with her just coming home when we weren't even sure she'd ever leave the hospital alive.

She doesn't live in the family home anymore and sold it a couple of years ago to move in with some guy against all of our wishes and now regrets it but still refuses to leave and move in with one of us. I think she's afraid of losing her independence and privacy.

So the thought of moving her into assisted living..yup, we've given her that option as well. She outright refuses.

And you're right. My mom has never been capable of making good decisions. She never went to school, barely knows how to read or write, married at 16, always one marriage or relationship to another to men not much more capable than she is, never worked a day in her life, never did anything on her own. Always had someone there to do it for her. If it wasn't for us making sure she's ok and checking in on her and making sure everything is done I don't think she would have made it as far as she has.

So now, having to do all this for her isn't really new...it's just more and we all knew this would happen one day, just not yet. She was pretty healthy before a month ago when all this happened unexpectedly when she got pneumonia.

But anyway, at this point I'm just trying to make life as easy as possible for my sister and for my mom and well....for the rest of us also. The more I can get mom to do on her own, the less stress on my sister and the less stress on me because sis won't be calling me constantly to complain about our other siblings and mom and how tired she is. I don't live near her so this is the most I can do right now other than making the occasional trip home.


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RE: glucose monitors suggestions? - 3/16/2014 6:47:42 PM   
angelikaJ


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You may find that if she is forced to choose between living with an adult child and living in a nursing home she will choose the former.

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RE: glucose monitors suggestions? - 3/16/2014 7:09:51 PM   
kalikshama


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My man is in the process of applying for a program that will allow his father to return home from the nursing home by having nurse's aids come in four times per day to help getting him up and dressed, with meds and meals, and getting him to bed. Mass Health (aka Romney Care) is paying for all but ~ $100/month. Medicaid may have something similar (although your mom doesn't have all those needs yet.)

Note - this application has been in progress since December. There is periodic progress, but at a snail's pace. Your mother would not be able to handle the mountain of paperwork - one of you sibs would have to do it.

Also check with her local Council for the Elderly to see if they have any recommendations.

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RE: glucose monitors suggestions? - 3/16/2014 7:23:19 PM   
angelikaJ


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Home care is much less expensive than nursing home care.

Different Medicaid programs fund things differently though.

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RE: glucose monitors suggestions? - 3/16/2014 7:30:20 PM   
littlewonder


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kali, yeah, my mom apparently applied for all of this before she went into the hospital and apparently sometime last year but we can't find the paperwork and no one else seems to know anything about it either and now my mom can't remember anything either so now we're starting over from scratch it seems. It looks like it's going to be up to me to make a special trip back home to try and fix all of this since no one else can seem to do it even though siblings live closer which makes zero sense to me.

Master keeps thinking I'm going to end up having to move back with her but there is no way in hell I'm doing that.

And yeah, Angelika, one would think given the choice. Here's the hitch though. My mom has already stated given the choice, she'll just leave either one and go back to living with her boyfriend or whatever he is that isn't any more capable of caring for himself than he is for her. Friggin stubborn woman!



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RE: glucose monitors suggestions? - 3/16/2014 7:34:02 PM   
angelikaJ


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IF she isn't capable of making that decision, then it can be made for her.
The mess her finances were in helps with that case, as does the fact that she was nearly on death's door.
Were you able to ascertain that the type II came out of the blue; that her doctor didn't have a clue and hadn't told her she was "prediabetic"?

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RE: glucose monitors suggestions? - 3/16/2014 8:17:40 PM   
Missokyst


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Since your family is not on the premises with your mom you should consider getting her one of those life alert thingies that they advertise on TV.  I may have to get one myself.  Right now I am using baby monitors and cameras.  I can get back to my house in 10-15 minutes. from any area of my town.

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RE: glucose monitors suggestions? - 3/16/2014 10:16:23 PM   
littlewonder


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quote:

ORIGINAL: angelikaJ

IF she isn't capable of making that decision, then it can be made for her.
The mess her finances were in helps with that case, as does the fact that she was nearly on death's door.
Were you able to ascertain that the type II came out of the blue; that her doctor didn't have a clue and hadn't told her she was "prediabetic"?


A few days before she landed in the hospital she wen to the docs. They said she had a stomach bug, gave her an anti-nausea injection and sent her home. Two days later she was in the hospital after my sister found her on death's doorstep at home. We still have no idea if the doc checked her for anything or not and she had her gallbladder out a year ago and they said she was perfectly healthy other than that.

When she got to the hospital they thought at first she had a stroke but everything came out negative and turns out she had pneumonia and a glucose level of 700. She was never, ever diagnosed as pre or diabetic ever before in her life and she's not overweight. So yeah, all of this is just shocking to all of us.

And Missokyst, the life alert is a good idea. I had never thought of that. I think that is going on my list of requirements. I had already planned on buying her a diabetic bracelet in case she goes out and passes out again. The baby monitor might be a good idea so her guy friend can at least keep an eye on her but I'm hesitant to get him to do absolutely anything at all.


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RE: glucose monitors suggestions? - 3/16/2014 11:47:27 PM   
LafayetteLady


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Sorrry to hear your troubling news lw.

Accucheck is one of the better monitors, supposedly. It is within the FDA's ridiculous percentage guidelines nearly 100% of the time and within 5% more than 95% of the time (thanks to a link Anjelika sent me). They are super easy to use, really big numbers to see, and large buttons.

As someone else pointed out, insurance tends to dictate which people get. Medicare and medicaid are unlikely to cover the meter MM posted the link to. Monitors are dirt cheap, strips expensive. That monitor uses a tape system and your mom's doctors would have to fight for her to get it. Hopefully, you will be able to get insulin pens, they will be easier than syringes because you twist to the correct dose, rather than fill.

A "diabetic" diet is usually limited on carbs. Ask about attending education classes at your rregional diabetes center. Your mother and whoever will be her primary caregiver should be covered.

For the record, obesity does not cause diabetes, in fact most obese people don't have diabetes. Diabetics also can eat sugar and carbs but it should be in moderation like everything else for everyone else. Potatoes, pasta, rice and bread are the biggest things to cut out.

If she won't be able to give herself an insulin shot with a spike, she's not likely to check her blood either. Just saying.

The fact that she says she will run away...I'm sure you would hate to do it, but you and your siblings may need to consider having her deemed incompetent and one being named guardian. Most nursing homes, she isn't going to be able to walk out the door.

As for the medicare/medicaid. If she gets SSI, she would have had to prove she had other insurance. To not get medicare. Its automatic, and is probably deducted from her check. Any SS office can tell you or if you can find her award letter, it will all be spelled out. You said she is getting lless than 1100, so I assume she gets more than 100. Family is in PA, right? She likely is over the amount to get the crossover medicaid. That's usually a strict dollar amount, with no deductions for expenses. This means your family will have some significant out of pocekt costs.

Contact the division of senior services in her area. They will be able to also direct you to meal delivery, which will cost on a sliding scale I believe. Could even be free if she qualifies.

Oh, if she applied for medicaid, you should be able to find out from her local social services office. They can tell you if she applied, when and whether she was approved or denied. Do this before starting the paperwork. You may not need to go through it again.

The pneumonia could have caused the spike, although that was a really high spike. But illness raises BS.

I am going to my regional diabetes center Thursday and I will see if there is a list of all centers across the nation. They are going to be your best source of information. They are accredited with the American Diabetes Association. There are discount programs for meds, supplies everything. And someone in the program can help you find other services.

If I think of anything else, I shoot you a cmail.

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RE: glucose monitors suggestions? - 3/17/2014 9:21:19 AM   
MercTech


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Gall bladder problems and pancreas problems often go hand in hand. After I had pancreatic and gall bladder removal, my HG1AC slowly climbed out of spec over the following few months. It took four years of research and experimentation before I could get off the medications that gave me such debilitating side effects (metformin).

There is no such thing as a blood glucose meter that does not use "strips". There are blood glucose meters that don''t use strips but those require daily check against a standard and calibration every six months. (hospital lab equipment stuff)

The Accucheck Mobile has 50 test strips in a reel. You replace the reel of test strips when used and the code key is built into the reel. You pay more for the convenience.

The older Accucheck Aviva has a code key you put into the reader and test strips. They have to match as the code key contains the calibration data for the batch of strips.

Costs, if paying out of pocket:

Some expenses are the same:

Alchohol swabs: <$10/100 at Walmart
Finger lancets: Simple ones are $12/100 up to $30/100 for fancy ones (multiple lancets on a rotating barrel like a revolver pistol).

Accucheck Mobile will be 15-20 dollars and refill strips on a real are $65-$85 for a 50 pack.

Accucheck Aviva (old style) Costs $10-$15 and a 50 pack of strips is $30-$60

Low end on cost is from mail order and high end is from a mainstream drug store. (always take an extra pack of strips when traveling or you may get stuck paying three prices for a pack of strips)
One thing to watch out for when doing mail order is a statement of the expiration date on the strips. If they don't say, either ask or pass on the deal. Your blood glucose meter WILL NOT WORK with expired strips. Often a vendor will dump at deep discount strips that will expire within 3 months.

If she is on medicare, be careful off the automatic mail order supply companies. Many send way more supplies than needed so they can bill for it and the co-pay, while reasonable, mounts up.

I hope that helps a bit. Cmail me if you have any questions I might have info on.


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RE: glucose monitors suggestions? - 3/17/2014 10:34:12 AM   
LafayetteLady


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The Accucheck Aviva monitor has switched to single coding. One black chip codes all future strips.

What "debilitating" effects did you have on Metformin?

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RE: glucose monitors suggestions? - 3/17/2014 2:36:40 PM   
littlewonder


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Thanks everyone for the info. I think I may end up buying the accucheck meter that was given here as a link. I'm more than willing to buy the meter and the strips for her so she won't have to worry about being covered by medicare or medicaid. My main concern is her using it. I was looking at a few where my sister or I could have an app on our phone that would show when she used it and what the level was and the meter could be set with an alarm to remind her to test herself. This would be really useful to us I think.

I also found a star 5 gps monitor that mom could carry around with her as well so that if she starts feeling ill or lost or scared or even just needs someone to contact us or needs to talk to a medical person, all she has to do is push a button. There's also an app for it so we could keep track of her and what she is doing and where at all times. These things will make it a little easier for us at least.

Thanks for the advice about the insulin pens. I'm going to do more research into those since she can't understand how to give herself injections. I am still wwaiting to hear from my sister about how often the nursing aide will be coming around and what's going on with her health insurance. Oh, she isn't on SSI. She just receives a small pension and social security from when her husband passed away....enough to pay her bills and food. Nothing left for medical bills or medications. Gawd this getting old shit sucks!





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