If you work in senior living, you know how prevalent diabetes is in residents. Around 1 in 4 people over the age of 60 have diabetes according to the American Diabetes Association. Senior living providers, including those that work in dining, need to understand the basics of diabetes and common concerns and issues facing our residents. It affects all areas, from nursing to culinary and activities.
For Diabetes Month this November, we'd like to share a few things with you about diabetes in senior living communities:
Managing Symptoms
Get to know your residents! Diabetes can affect people differently. If you have residents with a high A1c, their bodies have likely adjusted to higher blood sugar levels. If they consistently have an A1c around 250, for example, they may experience symptoms of hypoglycemia when they are at a normal blood sugar level. Know the goals for your residents. Often, in our older residents, we may want to avoid the possibility of falls that can come with hypoglycemia, so we may have a slightly more liberal A1c goal to allow for that.
The Importance of Food
Here are some keys to keep in mind for your residents with diabetes:
- Have a meal plan that is consistent in carbohydrates, typically 4-5 carb choices per meal.
- Juice is notorious as being a quickly digested source of carbohydrates and can raise blood sugars in a hurry if needed. But, it can have that same effect if consumed as part of a meal or snack. Instead of drinking the orange juice, encourage residents to eat the orange slices so they are getting the benefit of the whole fruit and the fiber that comes with the orange.
- What about desserts? Sugar is a simple carbohydrate and doesn’t contribute much nutritionally, so sweets are an easy thing to avoid in order to help control diabetes.
- Watch out for “sugar free” or “reduced sugar” desserts. They may actually contain about the same amount of carbohydrates as their original counterparts!
Asking Questions
How is your senior living community accommodating residents with diabetes? What is your policy? How does your community handle the “diabetic diet?” Is your "diabetic diet" working for the residents? It’s worth examining current practices! Work with your dietitian to come up with the best plan to promote good diabetic health for your residents.
Looking for more diabetes resources? We have you covered with a Diabetes Toolkit to help educate staff and residents on diabetes and its management. Martin Bros. customers can find it here.
