Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Assist Your Diabetic Loved One This Autumn

According to USA Today, one out of every 10 Americans suffer from some form of diabetes. This number figures to rise significantly over the next 25 years.

November is National Diabetes Month, and an excellent reminder that the entire family should be involved with making sure our diabetic loved ones stay healthy.

Here are some ways you can participate in healthy choices and actions with the whole family:



a. Plan meals carefully. Everyone can benefit from healthful-eating guidelines that your diabetic family member needs to follow.
b. Make fitness a part of your day. Taking a walk together is a great way to help the entire family stay in shape, and to help your diabetic family member control blood sugars.
c. Feet can get cold on chilly autumn nights, so anyone with diabetes should wear socks to bed if their feet are chilly. They should NEVER use a heating pad or hot water bottle.
d.
Help your family member check his or her feet. It’s not always easy to look at the bottoms of someone’s feet, but it’s very important. Regular feet-checking can help you catch cuts, blisters, scratches, redness or swelling right at the start, before they become a big problem. So, inspect feet daily, and call our office at the first sign of trouble.