Diabetes is a potentially serious- and even fatal- disease that affects one-in-four older adults in the US. Once an aging adult is diagnosed with diabetes, keeping their blood sugar levels normalized becomes a daily priority. If managed properly, most seniors with diabetes can still enjoy active, independent lives. On the other hand, mismanaged or uncontrolled diabetes can cause complications that affect the heart, blood vessels, eyes, nerves, and other parts of the body. If you are currently caring for an aging-in-place loved one with diabetes, here are 5 great ways to ensure their quality-of-life remains high.  

What is Diabetes?

When you hear the term “diabetes”, it’s referring to a group of diseases that affect how your body uses blood sugar (glucose). In simple terms, diabetes prevents the body from efficiently using the energy that’s found in the foods we eat.

There are also two kinds of chronic diabetes, type 1 and type 2- both of which may cause too much glucose to build up in the bloodstream. Excess blood sugar isn’t healthy for the body. Although most diabetics are type 2, both types share similar symptoms but also those that are quite different. When mismanaged, chronic diabetes can cause serious health problems and even death.

Diabetes Management Tips for Seniors

As an informal caregiver for someone with diabetes, managing their disease starts with these 5 key steps:

Dietary support

One proven way to keep blood glucose levels normalized is by following a healthy diet that’s low in sugar and saturated fats. Working with a registered dietician that is well-versed on the ADA dietary guidelines is always a great place to start. If you don’t have time to prepare healthier, more nutritious foods for your loved one there are meal delivery services that cater to seniors with special dietary needs.

Encourage exercise

The American Dietary Association (ADA) recommends sustained exercise for at least 20 minutes, 5 days a week. If your loved one is otherwise healthy enough to workout, encourage them to participate in low-impact forms of exercise like Yoga, Tai Chi, water aerobics, swimming or walking.

Manage their meds

Poor medication management is a common problem for many seniors, including those living with diabetes. Drugs designed to normalize blood sugar levels are involved in many medication-related hospitalizations. As their caregiver, help your senior create an effective medication management program. It should help them remember to take the right dose, at the right time, on the right day.

Monitor their vitals

As a potentially serious chronic disease, keeping diabetes under control takes constant care and due diligence. Part of any good diabetes management strategy is the ability to consistently monitor your senior’s vitals.

Thanks to technology, numerous at-home monitors are now available for diabetics, including devices that measure heart rate, blood pressure and blood glucose levels. Since diabetes can also affect vision, be sure that your senior gets a thorough eye exam every year.

Other lifestyle choices

Smoking, drinking alcohol to excess, and not sleeping enough are all unhealthy habits for diabetics. If your loved one engages in any of those harmful activities provide them with verbal encouragement. In addition, educational support will help convince them to make healthier lifestyle choices. If they won’t listen to you, seek outside assistance from their doctor, friends or family members.

Professional In-Home Diabetes Support for Seniors in Alabama 

Helping an aging loved one manage their diabetes isn’t always easy when you’re busy or live far away. At Seniors Prefer Homecare, we are a fully licensed home care agency that provides reliable in-home daily living assistance to independent seniors- including those with diabetes. From meal preparation and food shopping assistance, to exercise encouragement and medication reminders, our compassionate professionals have got your diabetic loved one’s needs covered.

While serving as an extended family in the home, our highly trained caregivers can perform various services. Such services include personal care, companionship care, respite care, household duties, dementia care, live-in and 24-hour care. At SPH, our professionals use a unique approach that’s designed to lift the spirits of those we serve. We endeavor to maintain their dignity, independence and self-esteem. To lean more about Seniors Prefer Homecare now, or to schedule a FREE initial consultation for a senior in Tuscaloosa or Huntsville, AL, today, please visit: www.seniorspreferhomecare.com.