If your loved one has recently been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, his doctor has probably talked to him about the importance of keeping his blood sugar levels at a healthy and normal level. He will provide your loved one with targets he should hit throughout each day and has probably provided him with a way to find out where his blood sugar levels are at those times.
Controlling blood sugar levels is important for your elderly loved one to stay in good health. If not managed, his blood sugar levels could rise or drop to dangerous levels and lead to other health complications such as coronary heart disease, diabetic eye disease, and kidney disease. It’s important to understand the disease itself and how personal care at home can help.
What leads to low blood sugar levels?
- Improperly taken medications
- Missing a meal
- Exercising more than usual
- Drinking alcohol
What leads to high blood sugar levels?
- Eating more than normal
- Being ill
- Feeling overly stressed
- Not taking enough insulin
Seven Steps to Managing Blood Sugar Levels
Your loved one’s doctor will recommend actions he should take each day to keep his blood sugar at a normal level. These steps may include:
- Eating a consistent time each day.
- Choosing foods that are lower in fat, carbohydrates, sugar, and salt.
- Limiting the amount of alcohol consumed to one drink per day for women, and two per day for men.
- Avoiding overly sweet treats and relying on naturally sweet treats instead like fruit
- Drinking plenty of water while avoiding sugary sodas and juices.
- Controlling portions while eating meals to reduce the risk of eating too much in one sitting.
- Keeping track of his blood sugar levels and noting any changes he made to make them go way up or down.
Providing Support to a Loved One Trying to Manage Blood Sugar Levels
It can be a challenge to implement all of the doctor’s orders to protect his health, and your loved one might become easily overwhelmed by what he should eat and what he shouldn’t. What is the best thing to drink and how much he should exercise? Unfortunately, for some people, when it becomes too overwhelming, they withdraw from trying to do anything and put themselves in an unhealthy cycle of poor health choices.
Your loved one could benefit from having a provider visit him and help with personal care at home. A personal care at home provider can support your loved one as he tries to follow new health guidelines on his lifestyle. When it comes to diet, a personal care at home provider can help him prepare meals that reflect the doctor’s recommendations so he is consuming foods that support normal blood sugar levels and don’t create dangerous spikes or dips in his blood sugar levels.
If your loved one’s doctor has recommended other lifestyle changes such as losing weight or getting more exercise, a personal care at home provider can also be a hands-on resource to support those changes as well. His personal care at home provider can help him manage his portions at a meal so he doesn’t overeat, or encourage him to take part in his daily exercise goals.
With someone else to support your loved one with personal care at home, he is much more likely to implement the recommended lifestyle changes by his doctor and start living a healthier life.