Managing diabetes effectively over a long period of time involves adopting multiple strategies, especially for seniors. When seniors are battling other health issues, too, this can feel really complicated. Home care assistance can make it easier for seniors to make some headway in keeping their diabetes under better control.
What Is Diabetes Management?
Diabetes is a complicated health issue that can lead to serious complications like nerve damage, kidney problems, and vision loss. Keeping blood sugar levels under certain levels significantly helps to prevent these complications. For so many seniors, keeping diabetes controlled means making some changes to their daily activities, including diet and physical activity. Home care providers can be a huge help for seniors as they adopt these changes.
Monitoring Blood Sugar Levels
Monitoring blood sugar levels involves testing glucose levels with a monitor. Taking these readings at the right time of the day, such as first thing in the morning or after meals, is a big part of getting accurate information. Elder care providers can help seniors to remember to test their blood sugar when they’re supposed to, which helps healthcare providers have accurate information.
Maintaining a Balanced Diet
Eating the right foods helps seniors keep their blood sugar under better control. This typically means eating foods that support stable glucose levels, like lean proteins, healthy fats, and a combination of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. That might not be how seniors are used to eating, though, which means they’re making a big adjustment. Home care assistance can help with cooking healthy foods and making sure that seniors eat at appropriate times.
Incorporating Regular Physical Activity
Exercise is surprisingly helpful in controlling blood sugar levels. Remembering to move more might be difficult, though, particularly if seniors are used to being more sedentary. Home care providers can help seniors make exercise a regular part of their daily routines and watch for signs seniors might be overdoing it.
Managing Stress
Stress is devastating for all sorts of chronic health issues, including diabetes. When seniors have support and companionship, they’re less likely to feel stressed and anxious on a regular basis. Having home care assistance available also gives seniors someone to talk to when they’re feeling frustrated or upset about managing a chronic health condition like diabetes.
Creating a Safe Living Environment
When seniors live with diabetes, it’s more important than ever for them to maintain a safe living environment. Diabetes can affect how quickly seniors heal after injury, for instance, so it’s important to reduce the risk that seniors sustain injuries. Clear pathways, good lighting, and grab bars are the basis of home safety for aging adults.
Living with diabetes doesn’t have to mean that seniors can’t enjoy their lives. Home care assistance can offer them the support they need to make healthy lifestyle choices and know that they’ve got a safe environment in which to age in place. Home care providers also offer emotional support that seniors can rely on as they learn to cope with a serious condition like diabetes.
If you are considering home care assistance in Las Vegas, NV for an aging loved one, please contact the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Summerlin. 702-800-4616
