PPMA

Families Have Big Impact on Loved Ones with Diabetes

By Dr. Jennifer Spector

Jennifer Spector
“Podiatrist Jennifer Spector Knows why ‘Diabetes is a Family Affair’ “

Dr. Jennifer Spector is a podiatrist in West Chester, PA, and has witnessed
how diabetes takes its toll on the lower extremity and families. It has affected
her family very profoundly.

Dr. Jennifer Spector is a podiatrist in West Chester, PA, and has witnessed how diabetes takes its toll on the lower extremity and families. It has affected her family very profoundly. As a matter of fact, this was one of the things that led Dr. Spector to becoming a podiatric physician. She was moved by the integral part podiatrists play in managing the diabetic patient.

“Families are an integral part of diabetic foot care. They can motivate patients to take the proper precautions, like daily foot self-exams and glucose control,” she says. Family members also can help to assist their loved ones with diabetic foot care: visually inspecting

the feet for any changes; assisting with proper moisturizing; reminders about not walking barefoot. Dr. Spector says it’s with this family collaboration that, “we have an important ally in intercepting problems at an early, treatable stage, or perhaps avoiding them entirely.”

Both of her parents passed away due to diabetes-associated conditions. Her mother especially had to deal with PAD and amputations. While in podiatry school and on a visit home, Dr. Spector says, “I was shocked to see a draining wound and red streak going into the ankle. [My mother] had no idea it was there. By that night, she was in the hospital being scheduled for revascularization and debridement.”


Dr. Spector advises families that “Prevention Works!” and to:
  • Join together as a family and make wellness and diabetes prevention a priority
  • Concentrate on small changes together as a family, these add up to big benefits eventually
  • If you are diabetic, take advantage of resources like your podiatric physician, primary care physician, or diabetes educator
  • Get as much information as you can about your condition and empower yourself

“These experiences absolutely have made me a better podiatric physician,” she says. She adds it has motivated her to give talks about diabetic foot care in the community and to bring compassion, honesty, and clear instruction for her diabetic patients and their loved ones. “I’ve been in their shoes, sat next to that loved one.” –Susan G. Kramer