Practical Self-Help Tips for Living with Diabetes and Low Vision

• Proper foot care is essential to prevent potentially serious infections. Wear comfortable, well-fitting shoes (not loose slippers) and good-quality socks to absorb moisture. Avoid socks with tight-fitting elastic tops that can impair circulation.
• Use a cane seat to help you move throughout your home. This is a device that supports you like a cane with a folding seat attached to it that provides support when you need to rest.
• Use grab bars in the tub area and next to the toilet and use a bathtub bench or shower chair when bathing.
• Always wear shoes and socks when you sew. Use a magnet to collect any pins that fall on the floor.
• Always use oven mitts when you are using the stove or oven and use padded potholders when you are handling a hot pan.
• Select kitchen utensils and tools with non-heat-conducting handles.
• Wear insulated rubber gloves when washing dishes by hand in hot water.
• Use an electronic liquid-level indicator, available in independent living catalogs, when you pour hot liquids.
• Contact your physician or a certified diabetes educator to learn more about adaptations for monitoring your blood glucose levels or measuring insulin.

Reproduced with permission of AFB Press, American Foundation for the Blind, from Maureen A. Duffy, "Additional Health Conditions" in Making Life More Livable: Simple Adaptations for Living at Home After Vision Loss, pp. 99-100, copyright ?2002 by AFB Press, American Foundation for the Blind. All rights reserved.

Additional Resources

American Diabetes Association
Diabetic Gourmet Magazine
Diabetic Lifestyle
The Diabetes Mall
Diabetes newsletter from the Jewish Guild for the Blind (.pdf file)