If you are unable to work because of diabetes you may be able to make a TPD claim for a lump sum from the Total & Permanent Disablement insurance contained within your super fund. There is no necessity for you to have been involved in an accident or to have suffered a work related injury to make a TPD claim. If you suffer from total and permanent disability, you may be able to make a TPD claim in addition to receiving your super early as a result of your condition. Our TPD claim solicitors can advise you in detail as to the requirements of a successful submission, they will prepare all relevant paperwork and will obtain full supporting documentation. Our lawyers will give you free advice on the likely success of your claim to a super fund, without further obligation. It costs nothing to use our free advice service.

Our TPD claim solicitors use a risk free no win no fee arrangement.

We have offices situated in Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney and Darwin.

Diabetes - TPD

Diabetes is a disease of sugar metabolism. In type I diabetes, the pancreas does not make enough insulin and sugar does not get put into glycogen into the liver nor does it get into the cells. In type II diabetes, the individual has insulin resistance so that the cells do not respond to the insulin put out by the pancreas and sugar does not go into the cells. Both types of diabetes have complications that can be deadly. Once you have diabetes, you have it for life. Complications only get greater with time.

If you have diabetes, your doctor frequently checks for high blood pressure, the sensation you feel in your feet, the skin and bones of your feet and legs and your eyes, to check for diabetic retinopathy.

Serious problems of diabetes include eye disorders. Diabetics are at a higher risk for getting cataracts, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy. Macular edema can also affect vision and is secondary to severe diabetes.

There can be many foot and skin problems. Skin can ulcerate in the feet and lower legs and can become gangrenous due to poor circulation. If the ulcerations don’t heal on their own, there may be a need for having an amputation. Diabetics are at a strong risk of ulcerations because of poor circulation and an inability to feel their feet or toes.

Diabetics have a problem with heart attacks and congestive heart failure. Men and women are both at risk of having a heart attack and have the same risk as a person who has already had a heart attack. The signs and symptoms of a heart attack can be the same as with nondiabetics but they can also have atypical signs and symptoms of a heart attack. This is all secondary to having high blood pressure along with diabetes, damage to blood vessels, elevated cholesterol or previous history of stroke. Strokes are at a higher risk with diabetics as well.

Nerve damage is possible with diabetics. It means that major injuries or trauma are not felt the same way and they can get worse without you knowing it. This is called diabetic neuropathy and mainly affects the feet and legs.

Other complications are frequent urinary tract infections, frequent yeast infections and kidney disease. The kidneys tend to fail with diabetics due to recurrent infections or just overall damage to the kidneys. Men can have problems with impotence or erectile dysfunction and women can lose sexual responsiveness.

Prevention of diabetic complications means knowing how to handle those days you are sick, knowing how to recognize low and high blood sugar complications, knowing how to take medications and learning how to check your blood sugar regularly. You need to know what to eat and when to eat it and know where to get diabetic supplies for checking sugars. You need to visit the doctor’s office regularly so that your feet and haemoglobin A1C can be checked. A haemoglobin A1C is checked every three months and tells what the blood sugar has been doing over the last three months or so. The more sugar-coated the blood cells, the higher the haemoglobin A1C is.

When you check your blood sugar at home, you need to make sure it is between 80-100 when you first get up and it should be between 100-140 mg/dL at bed time or after meals.

Regular exercise can prevent some of the complications of diabetes. It can involve walking, running, swimming, cycling or other exercise that gets your heart rate going. Foot care is also important, getting regular foot check-ups and checking your feet regularly for sores or cuts.

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