Tips for Helping a Senior with Diabetes Take Care of Their Heart
Diabetes affects more than 30 million adults throughout the United States, but what you might not realize even as a family caregiver is the close link between diabetes and heart disease. Though these two conditions may seem unrelated, they actually have a close correlation that is important to recognize. By carefully paying attention to and managing both diabetes and heart health, you can help your parent to minimize the negative effects of both and support overall stronger health and well-being as they age in place.
Use these tips to help a senior with diabetes take care of their heart:
Elder Care Philadelphia, PA Seniors and Diabetes
● Talk to their doctor about their heart health risks and get recommendations for medications or lifestyle changes that can help improve their heart health. Thinking of your senior’s doctor as an ally in their health is an important step toward achieving and maintaining better health for life
● Make sure your parent is doing everything they can to manage their diabetes effectively. The better-managed their diabetes is, the less of an impact the disease has on their heart health. Improving their diabetes will thereby improve their heart health, which can contribute to improvements to their diabetes in exchange
● Focus on changes that will have a major impact, such as drinking more water, cutting down on red meat and saturated fat, increasing vegetables, and getting more exercise
● Help your parent recognize the importance of a whole-person approach to caring for their heart. It’s not just about staying active or eating well. They must also maintain their mental and emotional health and well-being. Work with them to find a support group or counselor that can help them manage their stress and improve their mental health
Respite elder care is an often overlooked but potentially valuable addition to your care routine with your senior. There are times as a family caregiver when you might not be able to be there for your parent on your usual schedule. This could be because of an illness or injury, because you have conflicting responsibilities, or simply because you need some time to rest and recharge. Whatever the reason, if you are unable to fulfill your care tasks, you need to make sure your parent is still getting the care they need, and respite care is there. With this type of arrangement, a respite elderly home care services provider steps in to provide care as close to your regular routine as possible on a temporary basis. Whether it is for a few hours or even a few days, this means your parent gets the necessary care and support, and you can rest, relax, and take care of other responsibilities.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Elder Care in Philadelphia,PA please contact the caring staff at True Direct Home Health Care today.
Sources:
https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/diabetes/why-diabetes-matters/cardiovascular-disease–diabetes
Doc, as he is called by everyone - staff, patients and clients - first experienced home health care and hospice care while as a colleg student at King's College as he cared for his mother every day while she first battled COPD and then lung cancer. It was during this time that he came to understand that caring for a patient was more than just clinical expertise.
"Admittedly, my strongest attribute is my communication skills and the simple fact that I love to help people. Even the smallest thing you can do for someone really can mean so much to them long term. In fact, it could change them forever. That's what providing quality personal home health care should be all about."
In his spare time, he cooks for homeless shelters and children's music and arts events. He also is highly involved in his local youth sports soccer academy as a coach and Board member.
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