Diabetes FAQ » Diabetes Q&A » I worry about my father, he lives alone and he has diabetes. He is 65 years old and stopped working a few years ago. He often forgets to take his medication and lately he seems to be forgetting more things. Sometimes when I call him on the phone, he forgets things he should know and just seems to be out of it, saying things that do not make sense. I live too far away too visit him every day so I was wondering is this normal memory loss or could he be showing signs of dementia?

I worry about my father, he lives alone and he has diabetes. He is 65 years old and stopped working a few years ago. He often forgets to take his medication and lately he seems to be forgetting more things. Sometimes when I call him on the phone, he forgets things he should know and just seems to be out of it, saying things that do not make sense. I live too far away too visit him every day so I was wondering is this normal memory loss or could he be showing signs of dementia?

Actually the risk of getting dementia in older people who already have diabetes recently made the news. The medical correspondent for CBS News, Dr. Jon LaPook has reported that there are over 23.5 million Americans who have diabetes and half of them are seniors over 60 years of age. Furthermore researchers have found a link between diabetes and dementia.

Hypoglycemia

There is a serious concern for older diabetic patients who have a history of bouts of low glucose levels. It is now a concern that low blood sugar can affect the brain Elderly people who have type 2 diabetes and a history of hypoglycemia are at a greater risk for dementia. The Journal of the American Medical Association published this mega study, which examined 16,000 seniors with Type 2 diabetes. What they found was those seniors who were never hospitalized because of low blood sugar had a 10 percent chance of getting dementia. It went up to 45 percent if the diabetic seniors had one hospitalization because of low blood sugar and a whopping 160 percent after 3 or more hospitalizations.

Low blood sugar levels and the brain

When the blood glucose levels drop there will be impairment in brain functioning, especially memory and attention. When the blood glucose levels go really low and is left untreated for some time, this can lead to long-term damage. The area of the brain that is affected concerning attention and memory is the hippocampus.

A blood sugar crash can occur if you the diabetic eats too little or takes too much medication. In your father’s case you say that he doesn’t take his meds, perhaps he overcompensates by taking double and triple dosages when he does remember. Since you say he lives alone he may not be eating properly and missing meals as well.

He may even feel lighted headed or dizzy, and may experience a clammy feeling.

It is not uncommon for people with type 2 diabetes to experience memory loss even if their blood sugar levels are not low and since you do not know about your father’s condition we don’t know if his blood sugar levels are controlled. Whether his blood sugar levels are too high or two low it will affect the brain.

Since the possibly is there that your father may be experiencing early signs of dementia or Alzheimer or other conditions which affect memory, attention, and perhaps cognition, it is best to have him checked out.

If you can, you need to make a trip to your father’s home and have a talk with him, encourage him to take his medication and encourage him to see his diabetes specialist. He might tell you that he monitors his own sugar, which is a good thing, however it is still better to see the diabetes specialist and make sure that a professional is taking care of him.

You should make an appointment and go with him if you can, that way you can tell the doctor the symptoms you have been noticing. Your father’s doctor should be able to check for brain functioning using different psychological tests (he might refer your father to a specialist for that) to run the diagnostic tests.

Your father will need to eat properly, and a dietitian may be called in to help him plan his meals. He will also need to exercise as this too has been found to help restore natural brain functioning.

Another good thing might be to arrange with hospital to have a health care professional visit with your father on a weekly or by-weekly basis and see that he is taking care of himself.

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