Leading A Quality Life With Diabetes

Diabetes is a serious condition that is prevalent among the older population. It occurs when a person's blood sugar levels are too high and, in the case of type 2 diabetes, the body’s cells don’t use insulin properly.

If you develop diabetes later in life, it can be challenging to understand how this disease affects your body and how to manage your condition. Thankfully, there are lifestyle changes you can make to help reduce symptoms and keep your body healthy, even with diabetes.

Managing Your Diabetes

While type 2 diabetes is a life-long condition, there are steps you can take to manage your diabetes and continue living a full, quality life as you age.

Education

Understanding your condition is one of the best things you can do to manage your diabetes better. People with diabetes can enroll in diabetes self-management education and support courses to learn practical tactics for living with diabetes.

You can sign up for these courses through the Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists or the American Diabetes Association.

Diet

Nutrition and diet play an essential role in diabetes management. What you eat affects your blood sugar. When you have type 2 diabetes, you want to build meals around non-starchy vegetables and lean proteins. You also want to limit highly processed foods and refined grains like white bread and pasta.

When you’re first diagnosed with diabetes, understanding the ins and outs of what to eat is often one of the more challenging aspects of managing your condition. Many individuals find that working with a registered dietitian who specializes in diabetes can be a great starting point for understanding how to build healthy eating habits.

You can schedule clinical nutrition services with one of the Mentor locations from University Hospitals or work with a private practice dietitian, which you can find through HealthPros.

Physical Activity

Physical activity is another lifestyle aspect that can help you manage your diabetes. Regular exercise can keep blood sugar levels low and help maintain your weight.

Integrating exercise into your routine doesn’t mean you have to spend hours at a gym. Instead, find small ways to build movement into your day, such as going for long walks or easy bike rides. You can also try a workout class at the Mentor Community Rec Center or look for workout videos available online.

Diabetes Management Apps

Tracking your diet, activity, blood sugar levels, and other health information related to your diabetes can get overwhelming. One way to help you manage and understand all this information is through a diabetes management app.

There are many types of diabetes management apps that you can download to your smartphone or tablet. Some apps can sync with your glucose monitor for accurate blood sugar level readings, while others have a more manual aspect where you upload all the information.

Diabetes Assistance With Visiting Angels

Diabetes can be challenging to manage. If you’re having trouble with daily tasks like meal preparation, medication reminders, or mobility, the team at Visiting Angels is happy to help.

Our compassionate caregivers provide various nonmedical services to help seniors live safely and independently at home. All of our care services are customized to meet the needs of each client and can be updated as clients’ needs change.

Contact our Northeast Ohio office to schedule a complimentary consultation and discover the benefits of at-home caregiving.