Type 2 Diabetes develops when two main issues occur in the body: the pancreas stops producing enough insulin (the hormone responsible for moving sugar from the bloodstream into cells), and cells stop responding well to insulin, preventing them from absorbing enough sugar. This leads to high levels of sugar (or glucose) in the blood, which can cause serious health complications affecting the nervous, circulatory, and immune systems.

With proper management, including personal care at home, these complications can be reduced, offering better support and quality of life for those living with diabetes.

Type 2 Diabetes Symptoms

Type 2 Diabetes symptoms can vary for each person and often develop gradually over time, meaning your elderly loved one might not notice the disease until it starts affecting their daily quality of life. With proper management and personal care at home services, these symptoms can be addressed to help maintain their independence and well-being.

• Fatigue that doesn’t go away with rest
• Sores take a long time to fully heal
• Increased levels of thirst
• Needing to urinate more often
• Constantly feeling hungry, even after eating
• Losing weight without trying
• Inability to see well, vision may appear blurry
• Hand and feet that feel numb or have a tingly feeling
• Dry skin

Type 2 Diabetes Complications

As mentioned earlier, Type 2 diabetes impacts multiple systems in the body, including major organs like the heart, blood vessels, nerves, eyes, and kidneys. Proper management of diabetes and blood sugar levels, along with personal care at home, can help reduce the risk of these complications and other related medical conditions, such as:

• Neuropathy (damage to the nerves of the limbs): Consistent high blood sugar can damage or destroy nerves. That may result in tingling, numbness, burning, pain, or eventual loss of feeling in the extremities like the toes and fingers.
• Vision damage: Diabetes increases the risk of serious eye diseases, such as cataracts and glaucoma. It can damage the blood vessels of the retina, increasing the risk of blindness.
• Heart disease: Diabetes is linked to an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, and the narrowing of blood vessels.
• Kidney disease: Diabetes may cause chronic kidney disease or end-stage kidney disease that can’t be reversed.
• Irregular heart rhythm: Damage to the nerves of the heart can lead to an irregular heartbeat.
• Dementia: Not being able to control blood sugar levels can cause a rapid decline in memory and other thinking skills.

Managing Type 2 Diabetes with Personal Care at Home

One of the best ways to avoid possible other health complications due to a Type 2 Diabetes diagnosis is to manage the disease with medication and lifestyle changes. It can seem overwhelming to someone who has just been diagnosed with the disease.

If your elderly loved one is feeling stressed about trying to make changes to her lifestyle based on her doctor’s recommendation, having someone visit regularly to provide personal care at home is a great way to help her implement needed lifestyle changes with a supportive network.

Personal care at home providers can help her make dietary changes, implement exercise goals, and even help with medication management. They will provide personalized care that will increase the likelihood that she can implement and stick to lifestyle changes recommended by her healthcare team.

Making changes is never easy, but with support from a caring team of providers, your loved one is more likely to maintain those changes and live a healthier lifestyle, increasing her quality of life.

If you or an aging loved one are considering Personal Care at Home in San Mateo, CA, please contact the caring staff at Aviva In-Home Care today at (415) 463-1400

Aviva In-Home Care provides exceptional senior home care in the Bay Area, including San Francisco, Burlingame, San Mateo, Hillsborough, Atherton, Menlo Park, Palo Alto, Berkeley, Lafayette, Orinda, and surrounding areas.

Sources:

• https://news.va.gov/107579/va-supports-veterans-who-have-type-2-diabetes/#

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Evan Loevner

CEO at Aviva In-Home Care

As a former hospital administrator, I launched Aviva with the goal of having a more focused, direct impact on the delivery of care than I could ever accomplish within a hospital setting. For me, the joy of running an organization like Aviva In-Home Care is having the ability to positively improve the lives of individuals needing customized care. As a passionate Bay Area resident, I know that many local seniors can benefit from new approaches to in-home care, that will bring them more connection to the community, and provide families with a greater sense of comfort that their loved one is indeed matched with an ideal caregiver.

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