The wife of a diabetes sufferer is calling for better support for families after revealing she needed counselling after 39 years of caring for her husband.

Shona Freeborn, from Weymouth, has spoken out about how looking after her husband Tim, 66, has affected her mental and physical health.

It comes as research from charity Diabetes UK, published on World Diabetes Day (14), found that three quarters of carers for people with diabetes experience emotional or mental health problems.

Tim was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 1980. Since then, Shona, 63, a former nurse, has helped him manage his condition, which can be unpredictable. He has limited hypo awareness, meaning that he could slip into a coma without realising that his blood glucose levels are dangerously low, and even die.

Shona said: "For the past 39 years I’ve been waking up twice a night to check that he’s still alive. When they’re yours it’s really hard."

"You don’t appreciate that it takes a toll until later on. It all came out in counselling. I got very emotional. He’s my husband and I love him."

Shona has existing health problems, which she believes were exacerbated by the "constant stress" of being a carer. She praised hospital staff for their compassion but feels there is a need for more support and understanding of what families go through.

Shona now chairs the Diabetes UK West Dorset Group in which partners are invited to head along and ask questions of diabetes experts.

The theme for World Diabetes Day 2018 (November 14) is 'family', and Diabetes UK is hoping to highlight the impact the condition can have not just on those living with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, but their loved ones too.

An online survey by the charity showed that more than three quarters of respondents said that they sometimes or often feel down because of their family member’s diabetes.

One third of carers also wanted their family member to see more of a diabetes specialist nurse (DSN), while 11 per cent wanted a trained counsellor or psychologist to support the children or adults with diabetes they care for.

More than a quarter said that if they could change one thing about the healthcare their families receive for diabetes it would be to receive more information and support to manage the condition day-to-day.

Matt Robert, south west improving care manager for Diabetes UK, said: "Diabetes doesn’t just affect the person living with condition; the impact is felt by everyone around them. A diagnosis will change the life not only of the person diagnosed, but also their friends, loved ones and those that provide them with care.

“Caring for a child or adult with diabetes can sometimes be hard, and access to specialist information and support for both those with diabetes and their families are instrumental in safely managing the condition."

To find out more about the Diabetes UK West Dorset Group, contact Shona on 01305 835870 or westdorsetgroup@gmail.com