Type 2 diabetes is most common in people over 45 years old, especially if they are overweight or have a family history of diabetes. The symptoms of diabetes may not be obvious in elderly people and can be misinterpreted as normal aging. If uncontrolled, diabetes can cause damage to many organs. Special considerations for caring for elderly people with diabetes include ensuring adequate nutrition and balancing food with medications. Low-impact exercises can help maintain strength, balance and mobility even with limited mobility.

1. Diabetes and Elderly People
Everything You
Need To Know
About Diabetes
Diabetes Support Site
http://diabetessupportsite.com
Website

2. Diabetes and Elderly People
Type 2 diabetes is most likely to
occur if you:
are over 45 years old and have
high blood pressure
are over 45 years old and are
overweight;
are over 45 and have (or have had)
one or more family members with
diabetes;
are over 55 years of age;
have had a heart attack in the past;
have heart disease;
have or have had a blood sugar
test that is borderline­high;
have or have had high blood sugar
levels during pregnancy (a
condition called gestational
diabetes);
have polycystic ovary syndrome
and are overweight;
are an Aboriginal Australian or
Torres Strait Islander and are over
35 years old (or younger if
overweight); or
are a Pacific Islander, are from a
Chinese cultural background or are
from the Indian sub­continent and
are over 35 years old.

3. What are the effects of diabetes on elderly people?
A key issue for seniors with diabetes is
that, sometimes, the symptoms may not
be very obvious.
The well­known symptoms of diabetes,
such as urinating excessively and feeling
thirsty all the time, are not as obvious in
the elderly as in young people.
In addition, symptoms of type 2 diabetes,
such as feeling tired and lethargic, can
often be misinterpreted as just part of the
normal ageing process.
As a result, older people with diabetes
may be relatively free of symptoms and
may remain undiagnosed until damage
has been done.
If left unchecked, the accumulation of
glucose in the blood can cause enormous
damage to nearly every major organ in the
body, including kidney damage; artery
damage, which increases the risk of
stroke and heart attack; eye damage,
leading to vision loss; erectile dysfunction
(impotence) in men; and nerve damage,
which can lead to traumatic injury and
infection, possibly leading to limb
amputation.
It’s unlikely you’ll be able to mend the
damage that has already been done, but
you and your doctor can work together to
control your blood sugar and help
minimise the impact of diabetes in the
future.

4. Caring For An Elderly Person With Diabetes
Caring for an older adult with
diabetes may include special
challenges such as coexisting
medical conditions, physical
limitations and failing memory.
Whether the person lives alone,
with you, or in a nursing home,
your involvement can help them
obtain better diabetes care and
quality of life.
Some unique factors in diabetes
eldercare include:
Making sure that the person
receives adequate nutrition
Changes in taste and smell, as
well as stomach acid composition,
are a normal part of the aging
process. This combination causes
many older individuals to eat less
and can bring about poor nutrition.
Aging family members with
diabetes may be at higher risk for
vitamin B1, B12, C, D, and folate
deficiencies, in addition to
deficiencies in various minerals,
including calcium, zinc and
magnesium.

5. Importance of Nutrition For Elderly People With Diabetes
Eating a healthy, well­balanced diet is
essential throughout all stages of life.
However, seniors with diabetes are more
likely to suffer from nutritional deficiencies,
especially in the vitamins B1, B12, C and
D and folate, calcium, zinc and
magnesium.
Warning signs such as a weight loss or
gain of more than 10 pounds in six
months, can indicate that your loved one
is not eating properly.
To ensure your family member with
diabetes is receiving the best nutrition
possible, bear in mind that dietary
considerations change with age. In
particular:
Older adults generally need 20­to­30%
fewer calories than they did when they
were younger and more active.
Protein should account for 10­to­20% of
caloric intake. Individuals who have an
infection, wounds that are healing or other
health stresses may need to eat greater
amounts of protein and calories.

6. Meal Plans For An Elderly Person With Diabetes
Elderly people do not always respond well
to huge changes in their lives, especially in
diets. Introduce new dishes slowly. Try to
find healthy alternatives to cooking their
favorite foods. Consider baking a chicken
instead of frying it, lacing vegetables with
healthy olive oil instead of butter, or baking
with artificial sweeteners—whose sugar
substitute cannot be digested by the body
and, therefore, don’t add to daily sugar
intake.
Find out what medications the person is
taking and when he/she takes each pill.
Diabetic meal plans must balance the food
eaten with the daily medicines to maintain
proper insulin levels. Be sure to note other
medications, such as those for high blood
pressure or pain, that may counteract with
various food and timing of meals.
Learn the diabetes food pyramid, which
provides recommended daily serving sizes
for each food group. Mix and match the
senior’s favorites based on the best portions
for diabetes control. The minimum daily
recommendations would provide about
1,600 calories per day. Depending on the
activity level of the elderly person,he/ she
should eat about 1,800 to 2,200 calories
each day to maintain a proper weight.

7. Standard Diabetes Diet For The Elderly
Although there’s no one­size­
fits­all diet. Around 45
percent to 65 percent of total
daily calories should come
from carbohydrates, but not
just any old carbohydrate —
the best options are high in
fiber. Another 25 percent to
35 percent of daily calories
can come from fat, mostly of
the monounsaturated and
polyunsaturated variety. The
remainder of calories should
come from protein,though this
can vary based on a person’s
health requirements. For
example, a diabetic who’s
also struggling with kidney
disease will need to keep his
protein intake to about 10
percent. Within these three
groups, certain foods will help
manage your diabetes better
than others.

8. Importance of
Minerals and
Vitamins For
Elderly People
With Diabetes
Anyone who has diabetes
should—at a minimum
—take high­quality
vitamin and mineral
supplements every day. It
has been found that
taking potent daily
supplements for diabetics
reduce the incidence of
infection and number of
sick days taken by
patients with type 2
diabetes.
Vitamins are complex
chemical substances
contained in food. They
enable the human body to
break down and utilize
basic elements of food,
proteins, carbohydrates
and fats.

9. Must have Vitamins and Minerals for Elderly Diabetics
Diabetics are on a restrictive diet
and have a lesser number of the
foods to choose from. This is why
they generally tend to suffer from
the deficiency of essential vitamins
and minerals, which are normally
required by the human body to stay
healthy. Diabetes is associated
with weakness, fatigue, lethargy,
and the body ache.
In such cases, diabetics usually
need to supplement their diet with
the product that can provide them
energy to do their regular chores
and improve their stamina without
enhancing their blood sugar levels.
You can take Revital daily for
diabetes control. It halps in
boosting your energy, as well as
your immunity levels.
Depending on the type of the
treatment regimen one uses to
control one’s diabetes, there are
some minerals and vitamins that
may be beneficial for your
condition.

10. EXERCISE FOR ELDERLY PEOPLE WITH DIABETES
It’s no secret that exercise is good
for you and it’s especially important
for older adults with diabetes.
Did you know, for example, that
muscle strength declines by 15%
per decade after age 50 and 30%
per decade after age 70?
By regularly participating in
strength­building exercise,
however, muscle tissue and
strength can be restored.
What’s more, exercise also makes
it easier for older individuals to
maintain their strength, balance,
flexibility and endurance — all of
which are important for staying
healthy and independent.
Lastly, exercise improves insulin
sensitivity and can improve a
person’s response to blood
glucose medications.
Exercise is safe for most adults
aged 65 and over. Moreover, even
individuals with heart disease, high
blood pressure, diabetes and
arthritis can safely enjoy regular
exercise. Exercise actually
improves many of these
conditions!

11. What Exercises can elderly people with Limited Mobility Do?
The benefits of exercise are not restricted
to people who have full mobility. In fact, if
injury, disability, illness, or weight
problems have limited your mobility, it’s
even more important to experience the
mood­boosting effects of exercise.
Exercise can ease depression, relieve
stress and anxiety, enhance self­esteem,
and improve your whole outlook on life.
While there are many challenges that
come with having mobility issues, by
adopting a creative approach, you can
overcome your physical limitations and
find enjoyable ways to exercise.
Limited mobility doesn’t mean you can’t
exercise
When you exercise, your body releases
endorphins that energize your mood,
relieve stress, boost your self­esteem, and
trigger an overall sense of well­being. If
you’re a regular exerciser currently
sidelined with an injury, you’ve probably
noticed how inactivity has caused your
mood and energy levels to sink. This is
understandable: exercise has such a
powerful effect on mood it can treat mild
to moderate depression as effectively as
antidepressant medication. However, an
injury doesn’t mean your mental and
emotional health is doomed to decline.
While some injuries respond best to total
rest, most simply require you to
reevaluate your exercise routine with help
from your doctor or physical therapist.

12. Workouts for upper body injury or disability
Depending on the location
and nature of your injury or
disability, you may still be
able to walk, jog, use an
elliptical machine, or even
swim using flotation aids. If
not, try using a stationary
upright or recumbent bike for
cardiovascular exercise.
When it comes to strength
training, your injury or
disability may limit your use of
free weights and resistance
bands, or may just mean you
have to reduce the weight or
level of resistance. Consult
with your doctor or physical
therapist for safe ways to
work around the injury or
disability, and make use of
exercise machines in a gym
or health club, especially
those that focus on the lower
body.

13. How to exercise in a chair or wheelchair
Chair­bound exercises are ideal for
people with lower body injuries or
disabilities, those with weight problems or
diabetes, and frail seniors looking to
reduce their risk of falling. Cardiovascular
and flexibility chair exercises can help
improve posture and reduce back pain,
while any chair exercise can help alleviate
body sores caused by sitting in the same
position for long periods. They’re also a
great way to squeeze in a workout while
you’re watching TV.
If possible, choose a chair that allows you
to keep your knees at 90 degrees when
seated. If you’re in a wheelchair, securely
apply the brakes or otherwise immobilize
the chair.
Try to sit up tall while exercising and use
your abs to maintain good posture.
If you suffer from high blood pressure,
check your blood pressure before
exercising and avoid chair exercises that
involve weights.
Test your blood sugar before and after
exercise if you take diabetes medication
that can cause hypoglycemia (low blood
sugar).

14. Workouts for overweight people and those with diabetes
Exercise can play a vital role in reducing
weight and managing type 2 diabetes. It
can stabilize blood sugar levels, increase
insulin sensitivity, lower blood pressure,
and slow the progression of neuropathy.
But it can be daunting to start an exercise
routine if you’re severely overweight. Your
size can make it harder to bend or move
correctly and, even if you feel comfortable
exercising in a gym, you may have
difficulty finding suitable equipment. Some
exercise machines and weight benches
may be too small to use comfortably and
securely. When choosing a gym, make
sure it offers equipment that can support
larger people.
Whatever your size, there are plenty of
alternatives to gyms and health clubs. A
good first step to exercising is to
incorporate more activity into your
everyday life. Gardening, walking to the
store, washing the car, sweeping the
patio, or pacing while talking on the phone
are all easy ways to get moving. Even
small activities can add up over the course
of a day, especially when you combine
them with short periods of scheduled
exercise as well.

15. Cardiovascular workouts for overweight people
Weight­bearing activities such
as walking, dancing, and
climbing stairs use your own
body weight as resistance.
Start with just a few minutes a
day and gradually increase
your workout times. Make
activities more enjoyable by
walking with a dog, dancing
with a friend, or climbing
stairs to your favorite music.
If you experience pain in your
feet or joints when you stand,
try nonweight­bearing
activities. Water­based
activities such as swimming,
aquajogging, or water
aerobics place less stress on
your feet and joints. Look for
special classes at your local
health club, YMCA, or swim
center where you can
exercise with other larger
people

16. Emotional Aspects of Diabetes In Elderly People
Inevitable physical and
psychosocial changes occur as
people enter old age. The senior
years are a developmental phase
of life with its own unique
challenges that affect the
management of both diabetes and
depression.
From time to time, we all come
down with a case of the blues, but
did you know that older adults with
diabetes are almost twice as likely
to suffer from depression? It’s true.
An estimated 28% of older adults
with diabetes will experience
depression, which is nearly double
the average occurrence rate for
the general adult population.
Depression is a serious condition
that affects planning and
organizing skills. Older people who
suffer from depression may stop
testing their blood glucose, forget
to take their medicines and even
begin to eat and exercise less.

17. How Can I help An Elderly Diabetic Who Is Depressed?
When an older individual suffers from
poorly controlled diabetes in addition to
depression, both diseases require timely,
aggressive treatment. As a caregiver,
there are several things you can do to
help your loved one recover from
depression, including:
If you have your doctor’s approval,
integrate daily walks or some other form
of exercise into your family member’s
routine. Not only has regular exercise
been shown to improve both diabetes
control and mood, but walking programs
are usually a safe form of exercise for
most older adults.
Psychiatric counseling combined with
prescription medications is an effective
treatment for depression. Ask your family
member’s doctor about this type of
combination therapy.
If your doctor prescribes an
antidepressant, be sure to ask about
potential side effects and drug­to­drug
interactions.

18. Everything You Need To Know About Diabetes
Diabetes Support Site
Website
http://diabetessupportsite.com