According to the National Adult Protective Services Association, one in nine seniors have reported financial exploitation.

This is incredibly sad and unfortunate.

And what makes it even more difficult to spot and prevent is that the abusers are typically close relatives.

This post will be useful to you whether you’re a caregiver or a senior.

In this post I will discuss ways to spot, prevent and deal with financial abuse.

But first, let’s start with a definition.

What is financial elder abuse?

Financial elder abuse occurs when a person misuses or takes the assets of a vulnerable senior for his or her own personal benefit without prior, explicit consent of the senior.

If a personal disregards the advance directives/living will or estate plan of a living but incapacitated senior for their personal gain, this can be considered financial elder abuse as well.

Types of financial elder abuse

Per the definition above, financial elder abuse can take different forms.

If you see any of the following going on, you can suspect that financial exploitation is going on.

Fraud. This involves forging signatures, taking out funds in the name of the senior, unauthorized check-writing and basically any financial representation of the senior without their prior consent.
Theft. This would involve taking and/or using any asset of the senior without their knowledge. Clothes, cars and jewelry that are taken out of a senior’s house without their knowledge even if you are closely related to them is theft and is a form of financial abuse.
Investments made without the knowledge of the senior is financial abuse. Even if you think an investment will be good for an elderly relative, it is important to ask first before you make an investment on their behalf.
Lottery scams.
Electronic phishing scams that target retirement funds or any other financial asset is also financial abuse.
Real estate fraud which involves transferring property titles out of the name of the senior into another person’s name.
Insurance fraud. This involves life insurance and health insurance.
Businesses can also commit elder abuse if they charge money for work they have not done for a senior just because they think the senior will not check details.

And these examples are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to financial elder abuse.

If you are a caregiver or a adult child of a senior, a good rule of thumb to follow is to make sure NOTHING is done that with the assets of your relative or parent that they have not consented to or which does not honor their advance directives or living will.

How to prevent financial elder abuse

Know the types of financial abuse that exist. This is what I have listed for you above.
Make sure to fully read and understand all contracts before you sign anything.
Start planning your estate now. Read our previous posts on estate planning and advance directives.
If you are a concerned person and you notice that every time the issue of money is brought up, a spouse, adult child or caregiver does not allow a senior to speak, it is probable that financial elder abuse is going on. Report it immediately to prevent it from getting worse.
If you are a close relative, be careful not to fall into the trap of becoming the financial abuser.

If you are a senior, make sure you only deal with companies who have proven track records when it comes to your money.

Make sure to get everything in writing and not just “take people’s word for it”. As much as you may trust certain people, if a case ever goes to the court of law, unfortunately, “he said” or “she said” will not cut it.

Last but not least, don’t sign any contract you have not fully read and understood. If the person asking you to sign the contract is rushing you or telling you that whatever they are offering is a “limited offer” and that you must “take action now”, these are red flags. If the person is not willing to allow you to take the contract and think about it for at least 3 days so you can make a decision, it may be best that you don’t get into business with them.

How to deal with financial elder abuse once it has happened

What if financial elder abuse is already happening?

What should you do?

Report it.

In the state of California, you can report financial elder abuse by calling your District Attorney’s office.

You can check the California District Attorney’s Association for you DA’s current address and phone numbers by calling 916-443-2017 or by visiting http://www.cdaa.org.

By California law, you are supposed to follow this up with a written report 2 days later.

If you live in San Diego, here is the information you will need.

Hall of Justice
330 W. Broadway
San Diego, CA 92101
619-531-4040
FAX: 619-237-1351

San Diego County Adult Protective Services/Elder Abuse Hotline: 800-510-2020

Failure to report financial abuse is a crime in the state of California that is punishable by six months in county jail and a $1000 fine.

Closing Thoughts

Financial elder abuse is a horrible common problem and moreover it is a crime.

If you are committing this crime, the time to stop is NOW.

If you have observed it happen, it is your duty to report it.

Estate planning sounds so grandiose that you could easily dismiss it.

The reality however is that everyone has an estate.

It may not be a million dollars in liquid cash, but as long as you own it, it is an estate and thus you should make preparations for it for two scenarios:

If you ever are unable to make decisions because of an incapacitating illness
In the event of your passing away

What will happen to your finances, homes, cars and investments when you pass away?

Have you appointed a power of attorney if you are ever unable to make decisions that affect your life?

As a caregiver, are these questions you have brought up to your elderly loved one?

I’ll admit. It is difficult to talk about death; let alone plan for it.

However, talking about it and making plans now will avoid a lot of confusion and family drama later on.

Estate planning simply refers to an advance plan you make that decides who (a person/people or organization) gets your possessions once you die.

In today’s post, we will be talking about estate planning basics everyone should be aware of.

This information is useful for you both as a caregiver and as an individual.

Estate Planning Basics- Here’s What You Should Know

7 Facts about estate planning

Everyone needs a plan. Not just seniors or retired people.
If you don’t have an intentional estate plan, your state government will decide what happens to your possessions after you die. It is unlikely that you would be happy with it. All the more reason why you should have an estate plan.
Planning your estate will help you organize your records. Sometimes you may not even realize that certain bank accounts or money due you is part of your estate. By planning now, you can account for all those pieces of property you don’t even think about.
As I mentioned earlier, planning now will avoid family drama later. So many families are thrown into turmoil with lawsuit after lawsuit after a loved one passes away and no will is left.
Pass on your values on money and hard work when you plan your estate.
A good estate plan also includes creating an advance directive where you appoint a power of attorney who can make health decisions for you if you are ever in a state where you cannot make decisions for yourself.
An estate plan will ensure your dependents are taken care of in the event of your death.

Yes it is true- an estate plan will not completely wipe out or solve the issues raised above.

It can however significantly reduce their occurrence.

What should your estate plan include?

Your estate plan should cover as wide of a scope as possible.

Even though we cannot cover them all in this post, your estate plan should the following areas.

PLEASE NOTE: Even though we are including many of the aspects of estate planning here, please talk to your attorney to make sure all your bases are covered.

Protecting your assets. It is important during estate planning for you to take stock of what you own. It is important to make a list of bank accounts, investments, homes, cars, furniture etc that are in your name and nobody else’s. If you co-own something, it is important that you and the person or persons who co-own the asset with agree to what will happen to your portion in the event of your death. Write down this agreement. A lawyer should also witness the agreement. And even with things that you co-own, depending on state law, your portion could go to the surviving co-owners who can then decide whether or not they want to turn your portion over to your family.
Business planning. If you own a business, what happens to the business after your death is also an important thing to include in planning your estate.
Disability and illness. In case of a disability or incapacitating illness, what decisions do you want to be made? Where will the money come for your care?
Elder care. What are your preferences when it comes to elder care? How will your loved ones pay for it? Whether you or your elderly chooses home care or assisted living, there will be a cost involved. Being clear as to your preferences will clear up confusion later on.
The administration of your estate. This involves naming an executor who will oversee the distribution of assets after your death.
Giving. Do you want to leave money to an organization you care about? Estate planning will help you take care of that as well.
Inheritance. Do you plan on leaving portions of your estate to a surviving spouse, children, grandchildren or other relative? Estate planning includes planning the inheritance you will leave behind. Setting up beneficiaries of plans such as life insurance, 401Ks and IRAs are also included here.
Retirement planning. Planning for your retirement starts NOW. Not when you are ready to retire. This is why I mentioned above that estate planning is not just for the elderly.
Trusts.
Guardian appointment. Estate planning is not just for the elderly. If you have minor children, it is important to name a guardian who will take over the care of your children in case of your death. You love your children and want to leave them in the hands of someone who will do a great job. Not someone the state has appointed to take care of your children.
Funeral arrangements. These will include plans for your funeral ceremony and decisions as to where you would like to be buried or whether you would like to be cremated.
Estate taxes. You don’t want to leave your family with huge tax bills for your estate. Speak with a lawyer who is well-versed in tax law about this. It will help to reduce this financial burden for your family after you die.

Recommendations

As you can see, you have to take a lot into consideration when you are planning your estate!

And this is the reason why planning your estate starts right now.

As a caregiver/adult child/loved on of an elderly person who has no such plan in place, it is best if you can encourage them to do so as soon as possible.

As a young person who is reading this, all this advice applies to you too.

We recommend that you or your elderly loved one begin by making a list of all you own and then using the different categories stated above, make a plan for what will happen in case of your death.

Once you have written this down, you can hire the services of a lawyer for a few hours to oversee what you created and offer suggestions.

The point here is to have a plan in place before you ever need one.

Did you find this post helpful?

Please share it with someone else.

Mom is missing payments and dad can’t seem to write the checks correctly.

You know you need to step in and help but how do you do this without stepping on their toes?

At some point or another, if you are an adult child, it is possible that you will become responsible for your parents’ finances.

Whenever money is involved, things get sticky and volatile very fast.

Unless there is an original, agreed upon plan.

In this post, we will talk about easy ways to help your elderly parents manage their finances without making them feel they have lost control.

Accept that it is a difficult topic

In order to help your parents with something as sensitive as money, it is important to have an open conversation.

This conversation can involve your siblings and one or two other people you are sure your parents respect and are more likely to listen to.

In these conversations, it is always important to remind your parents that you care about them and want their well-being.

Seniors fall prey to financial scams to the tune of $3 billion each year. It therefore makes sense that your elderly parent may be wary of your offer to help.

On top of this, a decline in physical strength and health can make elderly people feel helpless. This loss of control can also make the elderly resistant to receiving any help from you.

Acknowledge all these objections when you have the discussion with them.

Have a financial plan

Once the discussion is over and they have agreed to let you help, it is time to create a financial plan.

Creating a budget always seems overwhelming for people but it is one of the best ways to track where each dollar earned goes so that there is less waste.

You can make a budget in a notebook or use one of the many cell phone apps that help you budget.

It does not matter which method you choose. What matters is that you stick to the plan.

Items to consider on the budget include:

Rent/mortgage
Food
Clothing
Utility bills- phone, electricity, water, gas, internet
Home care costs- where applicable

Once all the essential items on the list are taken care of, extra money can be put towards your parents’ savings.

A portion of that can even be used for entertainment!

Transparency is important

Transparency is critical when it comes to taking over your parents’ finances.

I already mentioned that there might be some initial mistrust in allowing someone else to control their finances.

This, it is important for you to be transparent and communicate clearly where each penny is going.

Show your parents physical or digital receipts of payments you have made in their name.
Take them with you to the rental office when you drop off the rent.
Let them get on the phone with the utility company so they can double-check to make sure they got that month’s payment.

These may sound a little extreme, but any length you can go to show your parents that you are honest in your efforts to help them is worth it.

A point to note about financial abuse

Elder abuse can involve money too.

The stories of wealthy elders being taken advantage of by close relatives due to failing health is real and more common than you think.

And while this will be the topic of another blog post, if you are an adult child who suspects that your parent is at the receiving end of this abuse, there is hope.

This is where estate planning (another upcoming blog post topic!) becomes crucial.

Making documented plans ahead of time with an attorney helps to limit financial abuse by placing the right people in charge of managing their parents’ money.

Encourage your elderly parent’s to start estate planning now.

Closing Thoughts

No matter how you slice it, money is always a sticky topic.

Managing money for your parents when they are longer able to can be an even stickier subject.

However, with the right conversation and correct planning, adult children can become responsible for their parents’ finances without drama.

Enjoyed this post?

Share it with someone else who needs it.

Deciding between assisted living and home care is an overwhelming process.

When a loved one has come to a point where they need assistance in their daily routine, you have a big choice to make. You start to research all of the different care options available. Should you look at assisted living or in home care? Which one is better for you?

How do you make the decision between assisted living vs home care without feeling guilty?

And how do you make a decision that suits your financial situation?

There is no doubt that there are many factors to consider.

In this post, I will be breaking down each side to help you come to decision that works for you, your aging loved one and your family.

Assisted Living Vs Home Care: How Do You Choose?

Assisted Living

One of the biggest reasons people don’t choose assisted living is because of the high costs.

There is also the issue that sometimes aging family members don’t do well when they are away from the rest of the family.

And then of course, there is the guilt a lot of family members feel due to a sense that they are “abandoning” loved ones by choosing assisted living.

Let’s tackle each of these.

Cost

Costs of assisted living will vary based on the city and state you live in.

However, it is easy to look at the price of assisted living listed on the brochure and conclude that it is not for you.

Have you however taken a moment to calculate the costs of providing in-home care for your elderly loved one?

Apart from hiring experienced in-home caregivers who do an excellent job, perhaps providing care at home means you have to take a cut in your work time.

This is a financial cost too.

Perhaps home care requires that you modify your home to assist the mobility needs of your aging relative.

There is a respectable cost incurred here as well.

Factor in additional “fringe” costs of keeping your loved one at home and it is possible that you will come to the conclusion that assisted living costs about the same.

Emotional Guilt

Another reason people choose against assisted living is emotional guilt.

Your parents or aging relative might have been your caregiver when you were growing up.

You love them dearly. And so the thought of signing them up for assisted living feels like you’re abandoning them.

Perhaps your current job is too demanding and you can’t give them the full attention they need.

Your feelings are completely valid.

In such circumstances, it is a good time to talk this situation over with your aging loved one.

During this conversation, it will be important to be completely honest with your aging loved one about why keeping them at home is no longer feasible.

Assure them of your love for them and follow through with visits and constant support if you finally settle on assisted living.

Helping Your Loved One Cope With Separation

This point ties into the one above.

As human beings, we consider change a threat- whether that change is small or big.

Thus, it is natural for your aging loved one to feel that they are no longer wanted when you suggest assisted living as a care option.

This could even lead to a depressive state for your elderly loved one.

If necessary, talk this through with a licensed therapist to make sure you are on the same page with the decision.

To help your aging loved one cope with the separation, it might also be wise to pick them up for family events throughout the year so they don’t feel isolated.

Home Care

We’ve talked extensively about the advantages of home care on this blog.

As a company, we truly believe choosing excellent home caregivers can provide you with the relief and peace of mind you need while ensuring your aging loved one gets the best care.

However, we also believe in doing what is best for your family and particular situation.

With that clarification, over the long haul, home care is sometimes cheaper than assisted living.

Additionally, your aging loved one will not be separated from their family. Do they verbalize that they feel safer at home? Are they part of community organizations such as a church or volunteer at the local hospital? In these instances it might be a smart decision to keep them at home while they receive in-home care.

It also means you will not have to spend money on gas, tolls and car maintenance to visit your loved one- as the situation would be with assisted living.

In assisted living facilities, one-on-one care is not possible.

With home care, personalized care is the standard.

On average, caregivers spend 20 extra hours per week caring for their loved ones.

Choosing professional home care could help you regain those 20 extra hours back.

And that guilty feeling of “abandoning” your aging loved one? That fear is removed. Why? Because you still get to enjoy your aging loved one in an environment they feel comfortable in.

Do you live in the San Diego area?

Are you in need of reliable home care professionals? Green Tree Home Care can help! Give us a call today at 800-518-9277.

We agree: It is not an easy decision

If the answer were straightforward, we would all know it by now, right?

Ultimately when it comes to choosing between assisted living vs home care, you have to think about what makes sense emotionally and financially in your situation.

This post lays out the broad picture of what you can expect should you go one route or the other.

Enjoyed this post?

Share it with someone else who is making a decision between assisted living and home care.

I know. I know.

With the record hot temperatures we have been experiencing this summer, flu season is the last thing on anybody’s mind.

But, the reality is that as soon as the weather starts cooling off and the leaves start falling, flu season will be here.

Historically, flu season has started around October and until April or May of the following year. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), flu season peaks around February.

Any doubt that you and I need to be ready for flu season?

In this post, I will be discussing what you can expect as far as flu symptoms go, what you can do to prevent the flu and how you as an individual or caregiver can get through a bout with the flu.

Ready?

Let’s delve into it.

What is the flu?

Influenza (flu for short) is a contagious illness that affects the respiratory system. It is caused by the flu virus.

One of the interesting things about the flu virus is that they “change” what they look like each year. So the flu virus that was prevalent in 2005, may not be the flu virus affecting people in 2018.

Because of this, getting a flu shot is important because each year, the Centers for Disease Control and the National Institutes of Health are able to tell us what flu virus is causing all the havoc and thus design vaccines that can specifically protect you against the “virus of the year”.

Older people and people who have a weakened immune system due to another illness are at a higher risk of getting the flu and experiencing flu complications.

Symptoms of the flu

Be aware of the following symptoms of the flu so you can report them immediately.

Fever or feeling feverish/chills
Cough
Sore throat
Runny or stuffy nose
Muscle or body aches
Headaches
Intense fatigue/tiredness
Some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in young children than in adults.

It is important to note that not everyone who has flu will have a fever or chill.

Thus if you are a caregiver, it is important to take a note of the other symptoms and report those as soon as possible.

How the flu spreads

A person can spread the flu even if they don’t know they have symptoms as well as well they have full blown flu.

In spite of this, people are the most contagious about 3 to 4 days after they have the flu.

How to prevent the flu

Preventing the flu starts with getting a flu vaccination each year.

As I mentioned earlier, the type of flu virus causing disease changes each year. Therefore, a previous year’s vaccination may not be effective in fighting the current virus.

This is why it is so important for you to get a vaccine each year.

Cost shouldn’t stand in your way of getting a flu shot.

Find out if your health insurance or long term care insurance covers flu shots- you might be pleasantly surprised.

Some workplaces even have the flu shot for free for employees. Ask about these.

The other major way to prevent the flu from spreading is to stay away from people who are sick.

This is very important. Simple things like covering mouths during a cough and frequent hand-washing are effective in keeping flu at bay.

Special Instructions for Adults Over 65

According to the CDC, adults older than 65 should also get the pneumococcal vaccine.

The pneumococcal vaccine protects against pneumonia, meningitis and bloodstream infections. All of these can be fatal complications of the flu. Vaccinating against them means you reduce the risk of developing these complications if you do get the flu.

Ask your provider about the pneumococcal vaccine when you go to get your flu shot.

Flu treatment- what you should know

What should you suspect you have the flu?

You need to see a doctor immediately so they can perform tests to confirm that you have the flu indeed.

If you have the flu, antiviral drugs will be prescribed.

If you have antivirals prescribed it is important to finish the entire drug course even if you feel great after the first one or two doses.

Closing Thoughts

The flu season will be here before you know it.

Arming yourself with the knowledge above will help keep you and your elderly loved ones healthy through the season and help you fight it if you do get infected.

If you enjoyed this post, consider sharing it with someone else who is looking for this information for the flu season.

What is there to know about urinary tract infections (UTI), you ask?

I’m glad you asked.

In this post, I am going to share what you should expect as far as urinary tract infections in the elderly go and what you can do as a loved one or caregiver to support your elderly loved one diagnosed with a UTI.

Urinary Tract Infections In The Elderly

Urinary tract infections start becoming common in adults after age 19.

Women are four times more likely as men to get a UTI.

The urinary system is your body’s way of getting rid of unwanted waste in your body.

Your urinary system consists of your kidneys and two tubes which lead away from the kidneys called ureters.

The ureters in turn lead to the bladder and then the urethra through which we rid our bodies of urine.

Urinary tract infections happen when bacteria infect your urinary system.

Typically, your urine would wash such bacteria away. In UTIs however, the part of your system that keeps UTIs away is not functioning properly.

Common causes and risk factors for UTIs

Common causes of UTIs include:

If your elderly loved one uses a catheter, the risk for a urinary tract infection increases.
This tip is for women especially. Once your elderly loved one is done using the bathroom, it is important that they wipe away from the vaginal opening instead of towards it. Bacteria from feces can enter the urinary tract this way and cause infections.
A woman who has gone through menopause is more likely to face an infection.
People who have spinal cord injury are more likely to experience a UTI.
Kidney stones.
An enlarged prostate in men.
Last but not least, uncontrolled diabetes can also lead to a UTI.

Symptoms of a UTI

The symptoms of a UTI are immediately noticeable. You can expect.

A burning sensation during urination.
Pain in the lower abdomen or in the lower back.
A frequent urge to use the bathroom and even then, you pass little urine.

In order for a doctor to diagnose a UTI, they will need to test if your urine has bacteria in it.

Usually urine that comes straight from the urethra is sterile (until it comes into contact with microorganisms that live in the air).

If they test the urine and there is bacteria, coupled with the symptoms described above, a doctor will diagnose your loved one with a UTI.

What can you do to help your elderly loved one with a UTI?

If your elderly loved one is reporting a combination of the symptoms above to you, it is important that you report the situation to a doctor immediately.

The earlier the infection is controlled, the better.

If there are no other negative indications, it is likely that a doctor will prescribe antibiotics for your elderly loved one.

And here is the deal with antibiotics.

They are great but lots of bacteria adapt to them quickly.

What this means is that a person can be put on several antibiotics until one finally works.

One way to prevent this from happening is to encourage your elderly loved one to complete the entire antibiotic course.

Sometimes, when people start feeling great after they have taken an antibiotic, they stop taking it.

This is what makes bacteria become resistant to them.

Secondly, as a caregiver, you will have to encourage your loved one to drink more fluids.

This helps to flush out the offending bacteria.

There is some impressive research and personal reports that shows that cranberry juice is also effective in helping to treat UTIs.

If your loved one is not allergic to cranberries, this could be one of the fluids you encourage.

For women, a doctor might advice that your loved one desist from inserting objects into the urethra- for example catheters and tampons.

Closing Thoughts

Getting a UTI is uncomfortable and can get expensive with doctors treatments.

If you suspect your elderly loved one is experiencing one, report it immediately to avoid further complications.

And since prevention is better than cure, simple things like not inserting foreign objects into the urethra and drinking more fluids can be practiced to prevent a UTI from happening in the first place.

Over time, diabetes can damage the nerves in your feet. It can also affect blood flow to your feet and cause foot problems that are directly related to diabetes.

Additionally, it is a well known fact that wounds heal slower in people with diabetes.

And one of the areas of our body that sustains wounds regularly is our feet.

It is therefore important if you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes that you to take good care of your feet.

Failure to do so can lead to loss of the foot or leg and we want to avoid that.

In this post, I will be sharing 8 tips on how to take care of your feet when you have diabetes.

Foot care and diabetes

#1- Take care of your diabetes

The first step to taking care of your feet is to take care of your diabetes.

Keeping diabetes under control happens because of a series of things you do.

Checking your blood sugar levels at set times during the day so that you are not spiking it too high or having it drop too low.
Regular exercise. Apart from exercise helping with weight control, it also allows for better blood blood to your hands and feet which also reduces the risk of non-healing wounds.
Healthy diet choices.
Regular visits to the doctor to make sure your medication is working for you.

#2- Check your feet on a daily basis

This can be either you or a caregiver checking your feet on a daily basis to make sure there are not cuts, blisters or wounds.

If there are any cuts or wounds, report them to your doctor immediately for appropriate care and advice.

#3- Good skin care is a must

Wash your feet everyday and make sure to dry the spaces in between your toes well.

Apply lotion to your feet to keep the skin on your feet from cracking.

#4- Don’t walk barefoot

Do your best to wear socks or shoes as you walk around your house to protect your feet from unnecessary injuries.

Make sure to check the insides of your shoes before you ear them.

#5- Ask about shoes that support your feet

Wear shoes that are not too tight or too loose.

There are also shoes that are designed specially for people with diabetes.

Ask your doctor about those and find out if your health insurance will pay for it.

#6- Trim your toenails regularly

Use a nail clipper to trim your nails regularly or use a file to file them straight across.

Avoid using sharp razors on your foot as this might cause an infection.

#7- Protect your feet from hot and cold extremes

Because diabetes can affect your the nerves in your feet, it is possible for you to not even feel when your feet are too cold or being burned. It is therefore important for you to protect your feet from hot and cold extremes.

It is important that you keep your feet away from heaters and open fires.

Make sure you wear shoes if you have to go to the beach or walk on the pavement especially in the summer.

Avoid putting hot water bottles or heating pads directly on your feet.

Wear socks at night if your feet get cold.

#8- Regular visits to the doctor are a must

Last but not least, it is important that you visit your doctor or podiatrist regularly so they can help take care of your feet properly.

When problems are detected early, it is possible for measures to be put in place to avoid further complications.

And there you have it.

Eight tips for taking excellent care of your feet when you have diabetes.

If you found this helpful, share it with someone else who needs this information.

Last week we talked about what diabetes is and the symptoms you should look out for if you’re a caregiver.

In today’s post, I will be going over diabetes complications you should know about as you provide care to your loved ones.

Because diabetes can go undetected for years, there are complications of the condition can develop because of late detection.

It is however important to watch for complications because diabetes complications can be disabling and even fatal.

The good news however, is that diabetes complications can be avoided with the right care and good control.

Diabetes complications you should know about

Hypoglycemia

Hypoglycemia simply means “low sugar”.

It happens if a diabetic patient has not had enough to eat or receives much more insulin that they need.

The sugar available to the person’s cells becomes low and they begin to show the following symptoms, with the most severe symptoms at the bottom of the list.

An irregular heartbeat
Complaints of tiredness/fatigue
Shakiness
Hunger
Sweating
Clumsy movements (almost like they are drunk)
Slurred words
Tingling sensation around the mouth
Blurred vision
Confusion
Loss of consciousness

Hyperglycemia

On the other hand, a diabetic patient can struggle with “too much” sugar in their blood.

Hyperglycemia happens when there is not enough insulin to allow sugar to enter into a person’s cells.

Symptoms of hyperglycemia include:

Increased thirst
Heachaches
Increased urination
Weakness and tiredness
Blurred vision

It is important as a caregiver that you know when to give your loved one insulin and how much.

Too much can tank their blood sugar whereas too little causes as elevation in their blood sugar than can be dangerous.

Wounds that don’t heal

Never ignore wounds on your elderly loved one that don’t seem to go away.

In a healthy individual, you should begin to see signs of wound healing a day or two after the fact.

Therefore, if a week after a person has sustained an injury, there are no signs of the wound healing, it is very important that you report the situation to a doctor so measures can be taken immediately.

If you don’t do this, a wound that could have been taken care of in its’ earlier stages can continue to get worse until an amputation of a body part is needed to prevent the wound from spreading.

Neuropathy

Neuropathy is when diabetes has cause damage to a person’s nerves so they cannot feel their certain parts of their bodies especially their feet or fingers.

This condition and the tendency for wounds not to heal in diabetic patients are a terrible combination.

They can lead to amputations if immediate care is not given.

Because a person with neuropathy cannot feel their feet or fingers, they could sustain an injury and not realize it until it gets bad.

Thus as a caregiver, it is important to inspect your loved one’s skin to make sure it is all intact.

And it is important that you report any wounds that don’t heal after a week or two immediately.

Glaucoma

As I mentioned above, nerve damage is a complication of diabetes that can affect different parts of the body.

When the nerves of the eyes become damaged, it leads to glaucoma- a severe eye condition that causes vision loss and in severe instances, blindness.

Kidney disease

Diabetes is a common cause for kidney disease.

High blood sugar damages the blood vessels that lead to many organs.

The kidneys are the organs in the body that filter fluids and allow your body to create urine.

When your body creates urine, it “cleans” the blood. Without this cleaning mechanism, toxic substances will accumulate in the body.

A failure to properly control diabetes can lead to damaging the blood vessels that lead to the kidney and thus causing the kidneys to fail.

This is called diabetic nephropathy.

If your elderly loved one has diabetes, it is important to have their kidney function screened regularly.

Heart disease

According to the American Heart Association, 68% of people with diabetes over the age of 65 years die of heart disease while 16% of them die from a stroke related to diabetes.

There are many factors that intertwine with diabetes to give this abysmal outlook. These include smoking, unhealthy diets and lack of physical activity.

Preventing diabetes complications

Diabetes complications can be kept at bay to a large extent.

Thus as a caregiver, the best you can do is to encourage these preventative measure.

Engage in physical activity for 30 minutes at least 3-4 times per week.
Lose weight.
Quit smoking.
Eat a healthy balanced diet that emphasizes vegetables and lean proteins.
Blood sugar levels should be checked during the cause of the day to prevent dangerously low or high sugar levels.
The right amount of insulin has to be administered at the right time.
Talk to your doctor regularly about any changes you are feeling in your body so they can help diagnose and treat the condition before it gets worse.

Why your HbA1C levels are important

One major way to keep diabetes complications at bay is to have a doctor check hemoglobin A1C levels.

This is an even stronger measure of a person’s blood sugar that looks at a profile over a period of 8-12 weeks.

Hemoglobin A1C levels give doctors a much better look at a person’s overall trajectory with diabetes.

Getting this checked regularly is a smart idea.

Closing Thoughts

Now you know!

As a caregiver, you are now equipped with knowledge to help your elderly loved one with diabetes.

If you found this post helpful, please consider sharing it with someone else!

Did you know that 1 in 3 adults is at risk to develop Type 2 diabetes?

This risk gets worse as people grow older and organs don’t function as well as they used to.

In this post, I will be explaining exactly what Type 2 diabetes is, the symptoms associated with the disease, and why you or your elderly loved one needs to see a doctor immediately to manage diabetes.

Understanding Type 2 Diabetes

When you eat, your body breaks down food into different molecules that are then transported in your blood to your cells so that they can perform the functions that are necessary for life.

One of the major molecules that is broken down from your food is glucose (sugar). Glucose is an important source of fuel for your body and is at the core of many important biological and chemical processes in your body.

Glucose is transported in your blood to your cells.

You can think of your cells as a house with a door.

The key to that door is another chemical produced by your body called insulin.

In a non-diabetic person, insulin “opens the door” to your cells and allows glucose to enter into your cells.

In Type 2 diabetes however, insulin does not function properly and so glucose is unable to enter into the cells.

This results in high concentrations of sugar in the blood (this is not where sugar should be!) and ultimately results in Type 2 diabetes.

Now you’re probably thinking “But why would insulin suddenly not function properly?”

There are a few reasons why this might happen.

It could be that your pancreas- the gland in your body which produces insulin- does not produce enough insulin
Or it could be that even though there is insulin, your cells are resistant to the insulin for some reason and thus not allowing glucose to enter your cells.

Whatever the case is however, Type 2 diabetes is a serious condition that requires medical attention.

Symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes

Symptoms of Type 2 diabetes include:

Increased urination. You notice that your elderly loved one has the need to urinate more than before.
Increased thirst.
Increased hunger. Because glucose does not enter your cells like it should, you experience intense hunger.
Sudden unexplained weight loss.
Fatigue.
Blurred vision.
Wounds that are slow to heal. Infections may be difficult to clear as well because your immune system is somewhat compromised.

Risk Factors for Type 2 Diabetes

Where there’s smoke, there is usually fire right?

Although scientists are not completely sure what causes diabetes, the following are risk factors associated with the disease.

Reducing/managing these risk factors can also reduce the onset of Type 2 diabetes.

Obesity.
Family history. If a parent or sibling has had Type 2 diabetes, it increases your risk significantly. And even though this is not a risk factor you can modify, modifying other things can keep the disease at bay.
The risk of type 2 diabetes increases with age. The risk goes up significantly after age 45.
Lack of physical activity. Physical activity helps you lose weight, and makes your cells more responsive to insulin.
Race. African Americans, Asian Americans and Native Americans are more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes compared to Caucasians.
Gestational diabetes. This is true for women who had a temporary form of diabetes while they were pregnant.
An unhealthy diet.

As you can see, while many of these risk factors are things you can’t help, losing weight through physical activity and a healthy diet will help to significantly reduce your risk for diabetes.

What can you do as a caregiver?

As a caregiver, the best thing you can do for an elderly loved one with diabetes is to help them pay attention to medical advice.

Diabetes is a disease that appear “not serious” until complications develop.

Usually, those complications are hard to treat and can be fatal.

Thus your job as a caregiver is to encourage your loved one to:

Eat healthy
Maintain a healthy weight
Exercise– even 30 minutes of exercise three times weekly can do wonders
Take medicines that are prescribed to them. You will also have to pay attention to any side effects of prescribed medication so that you can report them immediately
Watch your loved one for complications of diabetes (we will talk about this in another blog post).

Closing Thoughts

Diabetes is one of those disease that can “lurk” in the background until it is too late.

Now that you’re equipped with the knowledge of what Type 2 diabetes is, take action for yourself or your elderly loved one before it is too late.

Enjoyed this post?

Share it with someone else so they know too.

Didn’t think the health of your brain was connected to heart?

Think again!

Although the heart and the brain are located in very different parts of your body and you wouldn’t think they affect each other, keeping your heart healthy can contribute to a healthy brain.

Here’s the deal: whenever your heart beats, blood is pumped out to all organs of your body: your brain included.

The blood that is carried to the different parts of your body contains oxygen and nutrients your body needs to function properly.

Just before the blood reaches the brain, there is a layer called the Blood Brain Barrier that allows for oxygen and nutrients to move into your brain cells.

Because the quality of blood that reaches your brain from your heart depends heavily on the health of your heart, it is important to keep it healthy to ensure everything keeps running smoothly.

High blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol can all affect the brain in a bad way.

Add in the reality that as we age, there’s an increased risk for heart-disease and heart-related problems, and this is a topic that needs to be taken seriously.

Because we take your overall health seriously, in this post, we will talk about how you can have a healthy brain by keeping a healthy heart.

High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure or hypertension happens when the pressure of blood against the walls of a person’s blood vessels is too high.

When a person has high blood pressure, the heart has to work harder to pump blood to the brain.

Over time, this overworking of the heart leads to a weakened heart and blood vessels that are not effective at transporting blood to your brain.

When this happens, your brain is starved and unable to function at the level it needs to.

How do you keep high blood pressure at bay?

While there are drugs that can help you keep blood pressure low, eating a healthy diet with reduced salt and exercising regularly is helpful when it comes to keeping blood pressure down.

High Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a natural product that forms a part of your cells.

It can however become dangerous when you have too much of it in your blood.

Because cholesterol is a waxy-like substance, it easily sticks to the walls of your blood vessels.

Over time, it can cause plaque- a hard substance which clogs your blood vessels.

As you can imagine, clogged blood vessels are not going to be effective at transporting blood.

How can you keep cholesterol levels low?

Eating foods low in LDL (low density lipoprotein) cholesterol is the first step to getting your cholesterol under control.

Food that are high in good cholesterol (HDL) cholesterol help to reduce the levels of bad cholesterol in your blood.

These foods include:

Olive oil
Beans and legumes
Whole grains
High-fiber foods
Flax
Chia seeds
Nuts

Exercising regularly, quitting smoking and eating a low carbohydrate diet can also contribute to lowering cholesterol.

Some people have naturally high levels of cholesterol because they have a hereditary condition known as familial cholesterolemia.

For such people, a doctor may recommend medications to keep cholesterol low.

Because there are no real symptoms that show you have high blood pressure or high cholesterol, it’s important to get consistent check-ups to make sure a doctor catches these problems during the early stages.

Keep a healthy brain by keeping your heart healthy

As we age, the risk for heart conditions goes up.

Because there is risk for memory loss and dementia with old age, it is especially important that we keep our hearts healthy so everything else is healthy.

Enjoyed this post?

Please share the news of keeping a healthy heart by keeping a healthy heart with them!