From sunup to sundown, a day in the life of someone with diabetes is overloaded with a variety of tasks to manage the disease. Between medications, insulin injections, checking blood sugar levels, exercising, and handling nutritional requirements, it’s easy to become overwhelmed.
Advanced Home Health Care’s Southeast Iowa in-home senior care professionals realize the challenges and struggles of diabetes care management, and offer the following tips to help lower stress and remain in ideal health:
- Remember, no one is perfect. Good diabetes care doesn’t require being perfect with care every single day. Some days will simply be better than others and it is very important to be forgiving for an occasional glucose fluctuation and then learn from mistakes.
- Identify care barriers. Barriers to diabetic care management could be:
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- Requiring more information/education on proper diabetic care
- Staying away from situations that could disrupt a care schedule
- Excuses to defeat regarding getting enough exercise
- Eating habits that may be influenced more by emotions than hunger
- Depression or other emotional concerns
- Stay positive. Throughout everything, a positive mentality can go a very long way. Instead of thinking, “I’ll never be able to manage my diabetes—I might as well plan on having health problems,” try thinking, “I didn’t pay enough attention to my portion sizes at mealtime; that’s why my blood sugar is elevated. I need to plan ahead and keep portion sizes in line with my meal plan or cover with extra insulin if I eat more than I meant to.”
- Accept assistance. Family members, friends and coworkers often provide a great shoulder to lean on. Just let them know what is helpful and what to watch for. In-home care is also an excellent resource for diabetic care support and encouragement.
For more tips on easing the burden of diabetes care management, call on Advanced Home Health Care at 800.791.7785. Our compassionate and highly skilled elder care team is on hand to plan and prepare healthy and delicious meals, pick up prescription medications, provide transportation to doctors’ appointments, and much more. And we’re available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year for your senior loved one according to his or her preferences and schedule. Serving throughout the Southeast Iowa area, we look forward to helping make life easier and more enjoyable for you and the seniors you care about!
