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How Can You Help Your Senior Manage Type 2 Diabetes?

Elder Care in Cranford NJ: Managing Type 2 Diabetes
Elder Care in Cranford NJ: Managing Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is a form of diabetes that usually does not require your senior to use insulin. It does, however, involve unstable blood sugars that your senior can hopefully control with diet and exercise.

Elder Care in Cranford NJ: Managing Type 2 Diabetes
Elder Care in Cranford NJ: Managing Type 2 Diabetes

Talk with Her Doctor about a Care Plan.

Right after your senior is diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, her doctor can help you both to establish a care plan to manage the condition. That plan may involve medication, but it can also involve a variety of lifestyle changes that can produce big results. It’s worth taking the time to map out a plan.

Look at Her Eating Habits.

Different foods affect your senior’s glucose levels. She’s going to need to avoid foods that are full of empty calories, especially if those calories are coming from sugar. Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are going to be a big part of her new eating plan. Your senior’s doctor may recommend talking with a dietician who is well-versed in diabetes for more help.

Encourage Her to Move More.

Exercise, even just moving a little more each day, can help to control glucose levels, too. Your senior might want to take up walking because that’s a really easy way to start exercising more. Her doctor can give you some ideas that are better options for her current health level to make sure she doesn’t overdo it.

Track Glucose Levels.

Your senior needs to be able to track her glucose levels, too. Using a hand-held glucose meter is easy to do and before long your senior will be an expert. This can help her to spot patterns between what she eats, how much she moves, and where her glucose levels fall.

Track Overall Progress.

In order to see how well your senior is doing, it’s probably a good idea to track her overall progress. This can be as simple as maintaining a journal in which she describes how she’s feeling and what she’s doing. This can be more effective even than just looking at her glucose levels alone. It’s also a good way to keep track of symptoms so that you’ve got that information handy for her doctor.

Elder care providers can help your senior to stick with her care plan on a daily basis. They can also help her to choose the right foods and make exercise a bigger part of her life. This is incredibly helpful when you’re not able to be there as much as you want to be.

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring elder care in Cranford, NJ, call the caring staff at Helping Hands Home Care today at 908-418-4299. Providing Home Care Services in all of Northern and Central NJ, including Clark, Westfield, Cranford, Scotch Plains, Rahway, Linden, Summit, Edison, Elizabeth, Mountainside and the surrounding areas.

Robert D'Arienzo

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