Tag Archive for: modifying holiday traditions

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!

senior man on virtual video Christmas call

5 Ways to Celebrate the Holidays with Seniors During the Pandemic

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senior man on virtual video Christmas call

Make the most of holidays with seniors during COVID-19 with these tips.

Think of the most perfect holiday season you are able to envision. While that image will vary a little for every one of us, it may include gifts, lights, good food, and traditions passed down through the generations. Yet what most definitely holds true for all of us is the enjoyment in spending time with the people we love.

Sadly, the COVID-19 crisis has, admittedly, caused us all to reconsider best ways to safely take pleasure in the holidays with seniors we love. With a little bit of creativity and ingenuity, however, it is possible to bridge the gap and make new memories with the seniors in your life, even if you can’t be together with them in person this year.

Our aging care professionals have gathered a variety of suggestions to get you started:

  • Modify traditions. Think through the traditions that mean the most to you and your family, and how you are able to modify them in order to keep everyone safe. For example, if the family typically gets together each year to bake cookies, you can use Zoom or a similar platform to stay connected while making cookies from home. Select a favorite recipe, have the family sign in at a specific time, and bake away while chatting and listening to some holiday music.
  • Don’t do away with decorating. Seniors who live alone usually look forward to having loved ones, specifically grandchildren, visit to help with holiday decorating. Without in-person visits, seniors may not be interested in decorating. Again, using a software program like Zoom, schedule for a time for everybody to get together online and share the stories behind treasured decorations.
  • Enjoy the great outdoors. If weather allows, plan short visits with seniors outside, safely socially distant and with face coverings. String lights on bushes around the yard and decorate the front porch. In case of snow, have the grandchildren build a snow fort or engage in a snowball fight while your older loved ones watch from the window.
  • Send smiles. Pictures, cards, letters, telephone calls, small gifts, etc. will all mean so much to older adults who are missing time with loved ones. Coordinate with members of the family to take turns reaching out regularly in ways similar to this so your older loved ones are inundated with expressions of love.
  • Share your feelings. There is nothing quite as heartwarming as hearing from someone you love about the impact you’ve made on his or her life. Take this time to express your gratitude to the seniors you love for the difference they have made in your life, and be specific: “Dad, your patience with me when I was a teen taught me what unconditional love looks like, and thanks to you, I am a more patient person with my own kids.”

At Harmony Home Health & Hospice, the leaders in home nursing care in Ogden and surrounding areas, our caregivers are trained and experienced in enhancing quality of life for older adults at home, and follow stringent safety protocols for every person’s protection. Contact us at 1-877-I-NEED-CARE (1-877-463-3322) to discover how we can help make the holidays with seniors you love the very best they can be with our customized home health care services.