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Diabetes Management Tips to Share With Your Residents

Older woman sitting next to table and examining her glucose level.
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According to the American Diabetes Association, diabetes is a prevalent disease for Americans, especially those among our senior population:

  • Roughly 11% of US citizens are diagnosed with diabetes, the vast majority of cases being type 2 diabetes.
  • Nearly 30% of all US seniors live with the disease.
  • About 1.2 million people in America receive a new diabetes diagnosis each year.

Age is one of the leading risk factors for type 2 diabetes, along with a person’s weight, family history, race, lifestyle choices, general health, sleep quality, and more.

As the body gets older, it can have a harder time producing insulin, leading to uncontrolled blood sugar, a significant factor in the development of diabetes. Plus, age brings on physical changes like loss of muscle mass, increased body fat, and other declines that allow diabetes to develop.

Does a percentage of your residents struggle with diabetes? It can be challenging to help the people you care for manage their diabetes or improve their health in an effort to reduce the effects of the disease.

To help your team help your residents, here are some beneficial diabetes management tips you can pass along to your team and residents:

Track Glucose Levels

For many, it’s challenging to remember to track glucose levels. Even if a patient has lived with diabetes for a while, it can be hard for them to recognize the importance of monitoring consistently. It can be even more difficult for someone who only recently received a diabetes diagnosis.

To help any of your residents with diabetes improve their glucose tracking, here are a few strategies your team may find beneficial:

Encourage Them to Turn Tracking Into a Habit

Like brushing their teeth twice a day and taking daily medications, residents with diabetes should consider glucose tracking as a daily habit they cannot afford to skip.

Encourage Technology Use, If Applicable

Many glucose meters are compatible with smartphones and other technology that can help remind patients to track. If any of your residents have tools that can help them remember to track and the ability to use them, perhaps your team can spend some time showing them how to set up their meter, download any helpful apps, and show them how to utilize it.

Stay on Top of Diabetes Medication

close up of a doctor giving some pills to a senior woman

Taking diabetes medication as prescribed is crucial to managing the condition and the symptoms. For many, adhering to their diabetes medication can make them feel good enough to think they don’t need their medication anymore.

Whether they feel like it’s helping or not, your residents with diabetes need to understand the importance of sticking to their regimen for their health and well-being. This may include helping them understand the difference between the medications they take for chronic conditions like diabetes and the medications they take for acute conditions like headaches or colds.

Eat Mindfully

Diet can play a big part in diabetes management. A heart-healthy diet filled with whole foods like lean meats, fruits, veggies, and whole grains can help a patient feel better and avoid blood sugar spikes. It can also lead to better weight management, lower cholesterol and blood pressure, and other improvements that aid in managing diabetes.

On the other hand, a diet full of saturated fats, too much sodium, refined flours and sugars, and simple carbohydrates (often found in processed foods) can make it much harder to manage the condition. It also usually adds to the discomfort diabetes patients can feel when symptoms flare up.

By encouraging your residents with diabetes to eat a healthy diet on a consistent basis, you can help them with their own diabetes management.

Stay Active

Similar to diet, physical activity can have a positive effect on diabetes management. Even a little bit of movement throughout the day can promote better bodily function, strengthen certain muscles, boost cardiovascular health, aid with weight management, and more. All of these factors help your residents with diabetes manage the condition.

If any of your residents are able, encourage them to stay active however they can. Some ideas include:

  • Walking
  • Gardening (if applicable)
  • Fitness classes (if applicable)
  • Yoga classes (if applicable)

If your facility allows for certain levels of activity and if your residents are able to stay active to any degree, promoting physical activity when possible can help your residents with diabetes better manage their condition and their health.

Angus Lake Healthcare Cares About the Health of Your Residents, Whether They Face a Diabetes Diagnosis or Not.

Our pharmacists and staff are committed to serving your residents with the pharmaceutical services they need to stay healthy and manage conditions like diabetes. From prescription filling to compliance packaging, patient education, medication inspections, reviews, vaccinations, and so much more, we are here to help your team care for your residents.

To learn more about our capabilities and the services we can provide your facility or group home, schedule a consultation with Angus Lake Healthcare today: 478-233-1828.

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