8 Practical Ways to Manage Diabetes in Seniors

Managing diabetes as we age isn't simply about maintaining a number on a glucose meter; it's about orchestrating a complex symphony of nutrition, medication, and mobility, all while navigating the other physical and cognitive changes that come with later life.

For a family caregiver, this can feel like an overwhelming tightrope walk. The strategies that worked for decades may no longer apply, and new risks emerge. But effective diabetes management in seniors is absolutely achievable. It requires shifting from a one-size-fits-all approach to a pragmatic, personalized, and sustainable approach.

Let's explore eight practical, real-world tactics to help your loved one achieve stable health without sacrificing their quality of life.

With diabetes affecting a majority of seniors, many caregivers are taking care of someone with this serious health condition. To help prevent severe diabetes complications, encourage an older adult to make lifestyle choices that keep blood sugar at healthy levels. Vive Health shares an essential checklist of 8 ways to manage diabetes in seniors.

If you care for an older parent, spouse, or relative, there is a good chance you’re helping them manage their diabetes.

Over 130 million people in the U.S. have diabetes or pre-diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control. That includes nearly 50% of adults over the age of 65 who have pre-diabetes.

Like high blood pressure, diabetes can sometimes feel like a silent disease because symptoms don’t necessarily present in striking ways until something goes wrong.

Unfortunately, long-term complications from uncontrolled diabetes can result in stroke, heart attack, nerve damage, kidney failure, blindness, hearing impairment, skin infections, and more.

If you’re caring for an older adult with diabetes, this essential checklist of 8 ways to manage their condition helps you support them in achieving the best possible health and quality of life.

How to Manage Diabetes in Seniors

1. Learn as much as you can about diabetes

The beginning of any caregiving journey begins with education.

Learning about your older adult’s disease and its management and treatment will equip you with the knowledge and tools you need to face it together successfully.

Authoritative medical sites like Mayo Clinic and the American Diabetes Association have a lot of helpful information about diabetes.

You may also be able to find diabetes education classes at local health clinics or hospitals that you and your older adult could attend together.

2. Make lifestyle changes together

Lifestyle changes like exercising more and eating a healthier diet will benefit your older adult – and you as well.

Committing to small changes together can also be a show of support for an older adult to take action to improve their health.

3. Be smart about exercise

Physical activity plays a key role in keeping blood sugar levels down and helping with healthy weight loss.

But it’s important to know that exercising when blood sugar levels are already low can be dangerous.

Keep physical activity guidelines in mind, such as scheduling exercise about an hour after a meal when blood sugar levels are usually higher.

Always carry emergency items like glucose tablets, water, and carb-rich snacks when you and your older adult exercise away from home.

4. Practice stress relief techniques

Did you know that increased stress can raise blood sugar levels?

The fight-or-flight response that’s triggered by stress doesn’t work correctly in people with diabetes and can spike blood sugar levels.

Help your older adult practice positive self-care techniques, such as meditation, yoga, developing a new hobby, or even getting a massage.

Participating in these types of activities also helps you reduce your caregiving stress.

VIDEO: Managing Diabetes in Seniors

5. Encourage self-monitoring

As a family caregiver, you might find yourself advocating for your older adult’s health with their doctors and health providers and with your older adult themselves.

It can be tough for someone to face a diagnosis like Type 2 diabetes and have the strength and clarity to fight it head-on.

Helping them with self-monitoring puts control in your older adult’s hands.

Encourage them to use an at-home blood sugar monitor to track accurate blood glucose levels each day and take notes on how diet, exercise, and stress affect them over time.

6. Establish a Medical ID

A diabetic emergency is a scary thing – fainting from low blood sugar, a slow-healing wound that develops a severe infection, or going into shock from diabetic ketoacidosis.

It is crucial that your older adult has a Medical ID on them in case of an emergency and you aren’t with them.

This might mean having them wear a Medical Alert ID bracelet or necklace or entering Medical ID information into the emergency info section on a smartphone they regularly carry.

7. Coordinate medications

Managing diabetes may require your older adult to take medicine.

Use pill organizers to stay on top of daily doses and avoid accidentally running out, taking too much, or taking too little.

Attend doctor’s appointments with them as much as possible and make sure general practitioners and specialists aren’t prescribing any medications that might interact with existing diabetes medication.

8. Seek support from other caregivers

Don’t be shy about reaching out to others. You’re definitely not the only caregiver helping a family member manage diabetes.

Ask your local hospital or senior center if there are support groups for caregivers of people with diabetes.

Or, check online and on social media for private support groups to find caregivers who are going through a similar journey.

Final Thoughts About Managing Diabetes in Seniors

Remember, your goal is not perfection; it's consistent, thoughtful management that protects your loved one's health and independence. View these eight strategies not as a rigid checklist, but as a flexible toolkit.

Pick one or two areas to focus on first, perhaps mastering carbohydrate awareness or establishing a foolproof medication routine. Each small, positive step you take builds resilience and prevents larger complications down the road.

You are not just managing a disease; you are actively curating a life of well-being for someone you love. Trust your instincts, celebrate the progress, and know that your diligent care makes all the difference.

Recommended for you:

• Watch Out for These 5 Top Diabetes Complications
• Prevent and Manage the 10 Most Common Chronic Diseases in Older Adults
• 4 Tips for Managing Multiple Chronic Health Conditions

 

Guest contributor: Jessica Hegg is the content manager at ViveHealth.com. Interested in all things related to a healthy lifestyle, she works to share valuable information to help others overcome obstacles and improve their quality of life.