Tag Archive for: diabetes management

An elderly woman enjoys better health as she receives home health care for diabetes.

How Home Health Care for Diabetes Eases the Burden on Families

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An elderly woman enjoys better health as she receives home health care for diabetes.

Licensed home health nurses can provide diabetes care at home, from monitoring blood sugar to managing medication and preventing complications.

Some days, it feels like everything revolves around numbers: blood sugar readings, medication schedules, meal planning, doctor appointments. And when you’re helping someone else manage diabetes, especially an aging parent or partner, those numbers can feel even heavier. Read more

A nurse provides diabetes home health services for an elderly male client.

Why Diabetes Home Health Services Are a Game-Changer for Aging Adults

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A nurse provides diabetes home health services for an elderly male client.

Diabetes home health services include regular foot checks to prevent wounds and infections.

Managing diabetes isn’t a once-a-day task. It’s more like a full-time job—one that never takes weekends off. From blood sugar monitoring and medication administration to foot inspections and coordination with physicians, there’s a lot to juggle. And for someone who’s aging or facing memory challenges, those tasks can quickly become overwhelming or even dangerous if skipped. Read more

diabetic-friendly

‘Tis the Season for Diabetic-Friendly Celebrations

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diabetic-friendly

These tips can help people with diabetes celebrate the season in healthier ways.

This season of holiday celebrations is an excellent chance to engage in time-honored traditions with loved ones and friends, but let’s be honest: it’s often also a time for overindulgence in unhealthy eating. With a wide range of sugary, fatty, and rich special treats to choose from at every turn, it’s hard to follow a nutritious diet, which can result in serious health problems for those with diabetes.

These diabetic diet recommendations, however, can help individuals stay safe during the holiday season without being deprived of special treats. Be sure to first talk with the doctor for his or her approval on any meal choices that digress from an approved meal plan.

  • Determine your preferences. Consider choices during a holiday meal, and select your favorite two carbs to enjoy. For instance, decide if you would rather have stuffing or rolls, or choose between mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes, rather than indulging in all of the food choices.
  • Provide your own. When attending a holiday event at someone’s residence, speak with the host concerning your dietary restrictions, and offer to bring a nutritious dish to share, such as a tray of vegetables or a sugar-free dessert.
  • Have a healthy snack first. Eating a healthy snack before the holiday meal will help keep blood sugar levels consistent and aid in preventing the temptation to go overboard. Good snack options for people with diabetes include nuts, veggies and hummus, celery with peanut butter, string or cottage cheese, or an egg.
  • Stay hydrated. Drinking a glass of water before sitting down to the meal will provide you with a feeling of fullness, lowering the chance that you’ll be tempted to overindulge.
  • Stay physically active. Following a heavy meal, resist the urge to sink into the recliner and watch television or nap; instead, offer to help with cleaning up the kitchen, play an active game with the kids, or take a walk in the crisp fall air.

If in spite of these tactics you end up eating too much or making less-than-healthy choices, be kind and forgiving to yourself. Keep in mind that tomorrow is a new day to resume healthy habits again. Pay attention to your blood sugar to make sure levels stay in the appropriate range and to prevent the potential for a serious problem, such as diabetic ketoacidosis, which could cause a hospitalization and most definitely put a damper on the holiday fun.

Contact the aging care team at Harmony Home Health & Hospice, a provider of in home hospice care in Salt Lake City and the surrounding area, to discover more diabetic-friendly suggestions, for help with diabetes management, and much more! Our home care in Salt Lake City and the nearby area as well as Albuquerque, NM is available throughout the holiday season and beyond to help seniors live their best possible lives. Call us at 1-877-I-NEED-CARE to request a free in-home consultation today!

diabetes management

Reducing Stress for Better Diabetes Management

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diabetes management

Harmony Home Health & Hospice is your partner in diabetes management.

From sunrise to sunset, a day in the life of those with diabetes is bombarded with a variety of requirements to manage the disease. Between medicines, insulin injections, checking blood sugar levels, physical exercise, and handling nutritional requirements, it’s easy for diabetics to become overwhelmed.

Harmony Home Health & Hospice‘s Salt Lake City area at-home caregivers recognize the obstacles and struggles of diabetes care management, and suggest the following tips to help minimize stress and stay in ideal health:

  • Remember, no one is perfect. Effective diabetes care does not mean being perfect with care each and every day. Some days will always be better than other days and it is vitally important to be forgiving for an occasional glucose variation and then learn from any mistakes made along the way.
  • Recognize care hurdles. Barriers to diabetes care management may include:
    • Requiring more information/education on the most effective diabetes care
    • Staying away from situations that could disrupt a care schedule
    • Excuses pertaining to not getting enough exercise
    • Dietary practices that may be influenced more by emotions than hunger
    • Depression or other emotional concerns
  • Remain upbeat. Throughout everything, a positive attitude can go a long way. In place of thinking, “I’ll never be able to control my diabetes—I may as well resolve myself to always having health problems,” try thinking, “I didn’t pay close enough attention to my portion sizes at breakfast; that’s why my blood sugar is too high. I am going to plan in advance and keep portion sizes in line with my dietary plan or cover with extra insulin if I consume more than I meant to.”
  • Accept help. Friends, family members, and neighbors very often supply a great shoulder to lean on. Simply let them know what is beneficial and what to watch for. In-home care is also an excellent resource for diabetes care support and encouragement.

For additional helpful recommendations on reducing the burden of diabetes care management, or if you’re in need of one of our at home caregivers in Salt Lake City or the surrounding area, call Harmony Home Health & Hospice at 1-877-I-NEED-CARE. Our fully trained and highly skilled aging care team is available to assist with diabetes management, provide wound care, and much more. We’re on hand to help 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year according to each person’s specific preferences and schedule. Serving communities throughout the Salt Lake City area as well as in New Mexico, we look forward to helping make life easier and more enjoyable for you and the seniors you love!