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Tips for caregivers
School and everyday life
Nursery/School/Sport
As a caregiver, you can discuss with the child whether they want to talk about their
diabetes to the class. Perhaps they could deliver a presentation to the class about their
therapy and what it means to have diabetes.
To make sure they have what they need at school, it is important that you check they have
emergency supplies somewhere in the school. This should contain spare therapy items,
suitable food for treating hypoglycaemia, and their parents’/guardians’ phone number in
case of emergency.
If a child notices that they have a low blood glucose level, they should immediately
eat or drink some glucose, and measure their blood glucose level afterwards. Low blood
glucose levels can impact concentration.
Before sports lessons, the child must measure their blood glucose level. They should
always have fast and slow acting carbohydrates in their sports bag. Depending on
their blood glucose, you can help them decide what they should do before the lesson
starts.
If their blood glucose is low, they should eat or drink first (juice, fruit, bread, snack bar
etc.) and then measure their blood glucose level again after a period of time determined
by their HCP.
If the child does not feel well during the lesson and think they might be suffering from
hypoglycaemia, they should stop exercising immediately, measure their blood glucose
and if they find it to be low, treat the low blood sugar in accordance with advice given to
them by their diabetes team.