You may find it useful to look at some of the documents related to the
National Service Framework for Diabetes. I recommend starting with ‘Care
Planning in Diabetes’ because it contains a number of diagrams and
descriptions which offer a good view of the overall context and the way all
the variables mesh together.
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsP
olicyAndGuidance/DH_063081
The approach described in the document above is patient-centred and
emphasises partnership working ie it is an attempt to move on from
paternalistic and health-care professional centred models. I am not
advocating that you ‘medicalise’ this student. I am suggesting that both
you and the student could be empowered by approaching the hypo unawareness
at night issue within the context of the NSF.
I suggest that the prospective student should be encouraged to be active
in any communication, and that their communication should in the first
instance be with the person or team who help manage and monitor the
student’s diabetes (they may well have links with social services anyway).
Going to university represents a change of environment and lifestyle: the
student will need to take many changes into account in relation to self-
management & may wish to talk through things that should be considered (or
to put it another way, they may wish to talk to a member of their
healthcare team about possible strategies for adapting to change).
A major reason for suggesting that this particular student communicates
with the healthcare team would be for a review of monitoring in the light
of the recent Insulin Pumps Working Group. The student may also like to
enquire about the UK view on continuous glucose monitoring using a device
with a high and low alarm (these are used in the US)
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Policyandguidance/Healthandsocialcaretopics/Diabetes
/index.htm
Amanda Kent
DSA needs assessor
On Thu, 6 Dec 2007 10:56:57 -0000, Hammond Nicola Miss (DOS)
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>Dear Dis-forum,
>
>Has anyone had any experience of gaining funding from DSA / Social
>Services for non-medical helper support on the basis of severe
>uncontrolled type 1 diabetes or similar (eg uncontrolled epilepsy?
>
>I have had a prospective student enquiry. The student reports
>unpredictable hypoglycaemic events where he/she is unable to summon help
>due to lack of warning and almost instant lack of oxygen to the brain
>resulting in confusion. In these instances, the student would need
>someone to be around to recgnise the problem (predictable movement and
>sounds)and give dextrose or hypostop. Specialist medical help is not
>required. During lectures and seminars there would be no requirement as
>the applicant is happy for peers, tutors and staff to be made fully
>aware. The most concerning time is at night, when I feel a carer could
>be needed as a call bell/ intercom to security would not be adequate as
>he/she cannot alert anyone when the events start and they would take too
>long to respond. These issues are resolved at home by loved ones
>"listening out" or in residential school as the applicant stays in a
>shared dorm.
>
>I don't think social services will pick this up as the need will not be
>seen as critical or substantive. But I am having difficulty arguing it
>as DSA relevant.
>
>Any Ideas, is it worth me approaching DSA or social services for this
>type of support?
>
>Nicky Hammond
>========================================================================
|