If your senior loved one has diabetes or pre-diabetes it’s important that they take steps to manage their condition. If a senior in pre-diabetes can make healthy lifestyle changes, they may be able to avoid developing diabetes. And seniors who have diabetes can manage it successfully so that it doesn’t increase their chances of having a heart attack or stroke but only if they commit to making some lifestyle changes. A senior home care provider can be a great resource for seniors that want to make some healthy changes to manage their diabetes.
A senior home care provider can be a trusted friend, ally, and motivator to help your senior loved one make healthy choices one choice at a time. Whenever someone tries to make big lifestyle changes there’s a risk they will go back to their old unhealthy patterns because change is very difficult, especially for seniors. Since you can’t be with your senior loved one all the time a senior home care provider that can see your senior parent every day can become a trusted partner in your senior parent’s wellness journey. Senior care providers can help seniors manage diabetes by:
Managing Their Medications
Monitoring blood sugar, giving insulin injections, and making sure they have enough insulin and syringes can be difficult for seniors, especially seniors that have memory impairments. A home care provider can keep your senior loved one’s medications organized, make sure their insulin stays refrigerated, order refills of insulin and syringes from the drugstore, and make sure that they get injections on time. A home care provider can also watch for potential signs of low sugar and make sure that your senior loved one doesn’t fall into a diabetic coma or have health problems associated with unregulated diabetes.
Making Healthy Meals
A healthy diet is the foundation of diabetes management. Seniors often don’t like to cook full meals because they don’t want the bother of cooking for one, or because they don’t want to have a lot of leftovers, or because eating alone is a reminder of unpleasant things. But a home care provider can help your senior loved one cook healthy meals and make it a fun experience to cook and eat healthy meals.
Motivating Them To Move
Seniors sometimes need a little extra motivation to get in their daily exercise. A senior home care provider can encourage your senior loved one to get moving and get the exercise they need. They might suggest a walk around the block, or going to play some golf, or even going on a short hike. An elder care provider can arrange transportation and go with your senior loved one so that you know they are exercising safely.
Helping Seniors Manage Stress
Stress is another contributing factor the development of diabetes. With the help of a home care provider seniors can manage stress with relaxation techniques, meditation, yoga, or using art or journaling. When seniors lower their stress levels, exercise, and eat healthy they will significantly lower the risk of developing diabetes.
If you or an aging loved-one is considering Senior Home Care in Edina, MN please contact the caring staff at Great Oak Senior Care, Inc. today. (952) 767-4925
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