Whether you have been caring for your elderly parent for years or you are just getting started on your caregiver journey with them, a condition that you have likely heard a considerable amount of about is diabetes. This serious condition impacts more than 29 million people throughout the United States, including nearly 26 percent of the total population of older adults. While this condition on its own requires special care and management, it is extremely important to recognize that it can also increase your parent’s risk of a variety of other health complications, including heart disease.
Seniors with diabetes are at a dramatically increased risk of suffering from both heart disease and stroke. According to the American Diabetes Association, more than 60 percent of people who have diabetes die as a result of cardiovascular disease or stroke. This is two out of every three people living with diabetes.
There are three primary factors that link diabetes and heart disease. Keeping these under control will help to protect your parent from cardiovascular disease and stroke as they age in place. These factors include:
• A1C. This is a monitoring of your parent’s average glucose level over the course of a few months. Keeping this at a healthy level can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.
• Blood pressure. If your aging parent has hypertension, their heart is forced to work much harder than it should. This puts it at increased risk of cardiovascular disease, heart attack, strokes, and other serious complications. It is very important to manage hypertension properly to reduce this risk.
• Cholesterol. It is common for people with diabetes to have high cholesterol. This can contribute to the clogging of arteries, which puts your parent at higher risk of suffering a stroke or heart attack. If your parent has high cholesterol, it is important to take the proper steps to lower these numbers to improve their risk for a variety of health issues.
If your aging parent has recently been diagnosed with diabetes, has been living with diabetes for some time but has been showing signs that they are having more difficulty managing their condition effectively, or is at increased risk of diabetes and you want to protect them from this condition, now may be the ideal time to consider starting elderly care for them. An elderly care provider can be a valuable source of support and encouragement to your loved one as they deal with their condition. This includes a highly personalized set of services designed to help your parent manage their diabetes as well as any other health conditions that they might have, while also addressing their personal needs, individuality, thoughts, opinions, and goals so that they can have the lifestyle that they desire and deserve. This can include helping them to identify their personal risks, support them in making lifestyle choices that will reduce this risk and help them to manage their disease effectively, and give valuable reminders that will help them to remain compliant with their prescriptions, treatments, and guidelines offered by their doctor. If your parent’s diabetes has contributed to other health complications such as heart disease, this care provider can tailor their care to helping them manage both conditions effectively. As a caregiver this can give you tremendous peace of mind knowing that they are getting the care that they need at all times, whether you are with them or not.
Source
http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/statistics/?referrer=https://www.google.com/
http://www.defeatdiabetes.org/april-is-defeat-diabetes-month/
http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/complications/heart-disease/
If you or an aging loved one are considering elderly care in West Memorial, TX, please call the caring staff at At Your Side Home Care. We will answer all of your senior care questions. Call today: (832) 271-1600.
Our Certified Nurse Aides, 24-Hour Live-in Assistants and Home Health Aides are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We also provide the security and confidence of 24-hour Telephone Assistance, so fast, reliable help is always available when it's needed. To learn more about our homecare services see our homecare services page.
Different people need different levels of homecare. To meet the requirements of our clients, At Your Side Homecare maintains consistent staffing levels of caring professionals. Homecare service is available for as little as a few hours a week, or as many as 24 hours a day, seven days a week
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