Guest Blog: How senior citizens can cope with diabetes
Diabetes is a condition that affects how the body uses glucose (sugar), the main source of energy. People with diabetes either do not produce enough insulin (Type 1), or their body does not respond properly to insulin (Type 2). The most common types of diabetes are Type 2 and gestational diabetes, which affects women during pregnancy.
As you age, your body does not respond as well to diabetes medicine. You may find that your blood sugar is harder to control. Sometimes low blood sugar is a problem too because seniors tend to be less active than younger people so they don’t use up all their stored glucose or “sugar.” If you have trouble eating or drinking because of illness or other problems, ask your doctor if you should use a pump with insulin or pills instead of shots every day.”
As you age, your body does not respond as well to diabetes medicine.
As you age, your body does not respond as well to diabetes medicine. There are several reasons for this. The most common is that your kidneys are less efficient at processing the medicine, which can result in higher blood sugar levels than intended.
Another reason could be that there is a change in how well your liver processes the medication. In some cases, it may be necessary to adjust how often or how much you take each day in order for it to work effectively and keep your blood sugar under control.
You may find that your blood sugar is harder to control.
As you age, it’s likely that your body will respond less effectively to insulin. This means that your blood sugar may be harder to control.
You might also find that it’s more difficult for you to recognize the symptoms of low or high blood sugar (hypoglycemia). If these symptoms aren’t treated quickly enough, they could lead to serious complications such as seizures or even death.
If these things happen often enough, or if they cause a lot of discomfort or pain in addition to affecting how well your body works overall (for example: feeling confused), then it might be time for an adjustment in medication or weight loss plan for diabetes so that everything runs smoothly again!
Sometimes low blood sugar is a problem.
Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) is a problem that can occur if you have diabetes. It happens when your body doesn’t have enough sugar to meet its needs, so it sends signals to your brain that you need more of it.
These symptoms may occur:
- Sweating or shakiness
- Dizziness, weakness and fatigue
If you feel these symptoms, eat something sweet like juice or candy right away! It’s important not to ignore these warning signs because they could lead to unconsciousness if ignored for too long.
If you have trouble eating or drinking because of illness or other problems, ask your doctor if you should use a pump with insulin or pills.
If you have trouble eating or drinking because of illness or other problems, ask your doctor if you should use a pump with insulin or pills.
If you are having trouble eating or drinking because of illness or other problems, ask your doctor if you should use a pump with insulin or pills.
Take your diabetes medications as prescribed.
It’s important to take your diabetes medications as prescribed. If you don’t, it can be dangerous for several reasons:
- Your blood sugar could go up or down, which can make you feel sick and tired.
- You might get infections because of poor circulation caused by high or low blood sugar levels.
- If a diabetic gets sick with an illness such as the flu or pneumonia, it may be harder for them to recover because their immune system isn’t working properly due to high or low blood sugar levels that aren’t being properly controlled by medication (or lack thereof).
Eat a healthy diet.
You should also eat a healthy diet. Your doctor can tell you what types of food are best for your diabetes.
- Eat plenty of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans. These foods are low in fat and sugar and high in fiber, which helps keep you full longer so that it’s easier to control how much food you eat at each mealtime. They also contain important vitamins and minerals that help control blood sugar levels in the body. Examples include:
- Fruit such as apples or oranges; vegetables such as carrots or broccoli; whole grains such as whole wheat breads/cereals (not white bread), oatmeal (not instant packets), brown rice
Work with your doctor to make exercise a regular part of your routine.
Exercise is important for senior citizens, who are more likely to have heart disease or diabetes than younger people. Exercise can lower blood sugar levels and help you live longer.
If you have diabetes, your doctor will recommend that you exercise at least 3 times per week for 30 minutes or more each time. Try to exercise at the same time every day so that it becomes part of your routine–for example, before breakfast or after dinner every evening (or both).
Exercise can be a social activity that brings people together in ways other than just talking about their health problems!
Get tested for high blood sugar if you are experiencing symptoms, such as fatigue and frequent urination.
- Symptoms of high blood sugar
- How to test for high blood sugar
- Frequency of testing
If you are experiencing any of the following symptoms, get tested for high blood sugar:
- Fatigue and frequent urination are common signs of diabetes. If you have these symptoms, talk to your doctor about getting tested for diabetes.
If you have questions about your diabetes or treatment, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
- Don’t be afraid to ask questions. If you are unsure about your diabetes or treatment, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
- Don’t be afraid to discuss symptoms with family members and friends. They may be able to help you recognize early signs of problems that could lead to a serious illness or injury if left untreated.
- Ask for a copy of the results from all tests done during your visit so that they can be reviewed at home by someone who knows how they should look (e.g., doctor).
Senior citizens living with diabetes can lead productive lives if they manage their health properly.
The good news is that there are many ways to manage diabetes as you age, and these strategies can make it easier for seniors to live a full life.
Many seniors find that using insulin pumps or other forms of continuous infusion provides better control than multiple daily injections. Others may benefit from new devices such as closed-loop systems that automatically adjust dosing based on the glucose level in their blood at any given time. These technologies can help prevent dangerous fluctuations in blood sugar levels while also reducing stress on joints and muscles caused by frequent needle sticks.
It’s important to talk with your doctor about what will work best for you–and then stick with whatever plan they recommend!
Don’t let diabetes get in the way of enjoying your retirement!
Don’t let diabetes get in the way of enjoying your retirement!
You can still travel, eat out and exercise. You can do everything you always did and live a long, healthy life.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we hope that you have found this article helpful. Diabetes is a serious condition that can be managed with proper care and treatment. If you are concerned about your own health or the health of someone in your family, make sure to contact a medical professional as soon as possible!
The Promise of Smart Home Technology for Seniors Living at Home : Brooklin Nash
“With the IoT, we’re headed to a world where things aren’t liable to break catastrophically – or at least we’ll have a hell of a heads’ up. We’re headed to a world where our doors unlock when they sense us nearby.”
~ Scott Weiss
This quote from famous venture capitalist Scott Weiss highlights how much the Internet of Things (IoT) is changing our lives. It’s not just about connected devices and smart refrigerators. It’s about making smart home technology a norm. And it can be a norm that makes independent living for seniors much better in the long run. Here are a few ways smart home technology can directly benefit seniors living at home.
#1: Smart Home Technology Makes Independent Living Safer
Caring for seniors living at home can be both rewarding and challenging. With independent living, safety is always a concern. What happens when a senior loved one needs to be left alone, for example?
By introducing smart home technology into the mix, you can help ensure that your loved one is safe while home alone. The IoT means that seniors living at home can easily access everything they need – from the medicine cabinet to the front door to a voice command for emergency services.
#2: Alerts & Real Time Monitoring Make Independent Living More Realistic
More immediately, smart home technology and IoT makes independent living both safer and more realistic. Tech innovations now allow the control, monitoring and reception of alerts from physical devices in the home. With the touch of a button on an app, you can control appliances, security systems and more.
Users can also receive alerts on heart rate, blood pressure and a host of other health factors. You can have a safe amount of control over the home while letting your senior loved one live their independent life.. With this level of innovation, there is less of a necessity of back and forth.
#3: IoT Makes Independent Living More Accessible
In the past, there were generally two options: moving seniors into assisted living homes or having them move in directly. Smart home technology empowered by IoT and a fine tuned UX means seniors can access the tools they need to remain independent. There is no need for fancy tech that is difficult to understand.
What other ways do you see the promise of smart home technology taking hold for seniors living at home?
Brooklin Nash writes about the latest tools and small business trends. When he’s not writing, you can find him reading YA dystopian fiction (with guilty pleasure) and cooking.
3 Hidden Signs of Mobility Problems
While you don’t have to be overly observant to recognize that difficulty walking can spell trouble for your mobility, you may not necessarily be on the lookout for less subtle signs that can serve as red flags too. Check out this quick list of three hidden signs of mobility problems:
Avoiding Stairs
Are you opting to take the elevator more than normal? How about spending more time on the ground floor of your home to avoid using a staircase? Stairs can be one of the most difficult environments to traverse when mobility problems are starting to set in.
Stairs require extra leg strength, coordination, and balance. Avoiding stairs, whether conscious of it or not, could be a red flag. Same goes for exercise. If you are finding excuses to skip regular exercise because of mounting difficulties with getting around, it’s time to seek assistance.
Frequent Falling
While falls aren’t all that uncommon for seniors (one out of four seniors experiences a fall every year), frequent falling could indicate mobility difficulties. Even if you have not yet experienced an injury due to a fall, the fact that you fall even more than once a year could shed light on underlying risk factors negatively impacting your mobility including motor impairment and balance problems.
Chronic Illness
You may think that only chronic illnesses which directly affect your leg strength and coordination would impair your mobility, like Parkinson’s or multiple sclerosis, however, you would be wrong. Conditions including diabetes, arthritis, and even heart disease can play a role in reducing your ability to quickly and safely move with ease.
Heart failure, for example, can leave your short of breath when you walk or stand for long periods of time. Diabetes can affect nerves in the legs and feet and arthritic joint inflammation can make walking painful.
Researchers have found less common risk factors that also increase an older adult’s chances of developing mobility problems. These include drinking or smoking, recent hospitalization, having symptoms of depression and experiencing memory and critical thinking problems.
Mobility difficulties do not need to be the end of the line for you. Advancements in technology, design, and engineering have revolutionized the assistive devices people with mobility problems can use. Utilizing equipment to help keep you mobile like motorized scooters, walkers, canes, and specialty wheelchairs can play an important role in both your health as well as your outlook on life.
Aging Backwards: The Science And Secret To Healthy Aging
You will typically hear the word aging having negative connotations attached to it. This stems from the fear that as you age, you will not be able to enjoy life as you once did in your youth. But many ignore how it represents the beauty of life and the nature of the universe. While we cannot, in the literal sense, reverse aging, we can ensure that our aging process is as healthy as possible to enjoy life to its fullest.
Scientists are actively researching how to slow down to prevent age-related declines in physical health. However, we cannot ignore the archive of data on how to ensure a graceful aging process. Many have already discovered ways to improve the chances of maintaining optimal health. Small changes in your routine can go a long way. For instance, adopting simple, minimal, and healthy patterns like switching your diet and incorporating supplements like kava kava powder, limiting alcohol intake, or even managing exercise routines.
Let’s look at some secrets to healthy aging backed by science.
Prioritizing physical health
Indulging in physical activity is the cornerstone of healthy aging. People who exercise regularly not only live longer but also may live better with more years of life without pain or disabilities.
A study with adults aged 40 and older found taking 8,000 steps or more per day compared to taking 4,000 steps was associated with a 51% lowers risk of death from all causes. Increase the number of daily steps by engaging in activities that keep your body moving, like gardening, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, and walking your dog.
You can also make smarter food choices to help protect yourself from health problems as you age and may even help improve brain function. Much of the Mediterranean-style pallet, which includes whole grains, fresh produce, and healthy fats, but less dairy and more fish than a traditional American diet, may positively impact health.
A good night’s sleep
The importance of sleep in your youth is not stressed upon enough. Staying up late can, in many ways, hinder how active your brain stays during the day or work hours. While the negative impact may not show immediately, it may lead to visible problems once you age. Sleep helps you stay alert and healthy, whereas a lack of sleep will cause irritability, depression, and forgetfulness are more likely to have falls or accidents. It is also an essential factor contributing to your memory and mood. In a study with adults over 65, researchers found that people with poor quality of sleep had a more challenging time problem-solving and concentrating than those who received a good night’s sleep on a regular basis.
Additionally, inadequate sleep is associated with the buildup of beta-amyloid, which is a protein involved in Alzheimer’s disease. Conversely, getting good sleep is associated with lower rates of heart disease, insulin resistance, and obesity. It can also improve your decision-making skills and creativity.
Keep a gratitude journal.
Life may not be perfect, and you will encounter many hurdles in life that will take multiple forms. It’s important to remember that stress takes years off one’s life, so to counter stress, count all the blessings in life. Practicing gratitude is not just a simple “stay positive” outlook creating a placebo effect. The benefits of optimism are so powerful that they can help you to live a longer life. A study found that older adults with an optimistic disposition are at a lower risk of dying from any cause, with an exceptionally reduced risk of dying from heart disease.
Take a moment out of your day to report everything in life you are grateful for. Gratitude journaling will protect your physical and mental well-being as you age further into your life.
Staying social and connected
Staying socially engaged plays a vital role in maintaining cognitive functioning during your aging process. It helps the hippocampus, which is an area in your brain responsible for memory, stay active. Since depression is a significant contributor and indicator of poor mental health, keeping a social life will prevent loneliness and depression. Be more vocal about get-togethers, attend functions, and participate in activities that maximize your chance of socializing and making more friends.
Maintaining hobbies like baking or sports is also important since they are healthy for the mind and body and can provide more opportunities for social benefits.
Bottom Line
Maintaining physical health is key to living better with more years of life without pain or disabilities. This includes a good diet and regularly indulging in exercise. Sleep is another important element that contributes to a healthy lifestyle. It ensures a healthy mind and body. Another activity that focuses on keeping a healthy mind is gratitude journaling, which helps you live a longer, more fulfilling life. Remember to keep your social life alive, stay in touch with family and friends, and attend several functions to keep your mind active and your memory strong. We hope you find this article insightful.