What Are the Risk Factors for Type 2 Diabetes

By Gauthier Family Home Care | December 22, 2021 | Comments Off on What Are the Risk Factors for Type 2 Diabetes

Are you worried about your elderly loved one’s health? Maybe, they have a family history of Type 2 diabetes and you are concerned they will get it too. The truth is there are many risk factors for this type of diabetes. Learning about them gives your elderly loved one a better chance of preventing Type 2 diabetes.

Overweight/Obesity

 Elder Care Ada, MI: Seniors and Diabetes

Is your elderly loved one overweight? They might even be obese. If this is the case, they do have a higher risk of getting Type 2 diabetes. Research shows that extra fat makes cells that are insulin resistant. When this happens, the person may need insulin shots to help stabilize their body.

If your elderly loved one doesn’t have diabetes yet, losing weight could help to prevent it. If needed, you or elder care providers can help them to lose weight. You could go visit and do exercise videos with your elderly loved one while you are there, for example. You or senior care providers could also help your elderly loved one to create weekly healthy meal plans, so they can lose weight.

Family History

There is a family history risk factor for this type of diabetes. For example, if your elderly loved one’s parent or sibling has or had Type 2 diabetes, they have a higher risk of getting it. With this being said, there isn’t much that can be done to change family history. However, if your elderly loved one follows through with the other tips noted here today, they can still lower their risk of getting Type 2 diabetes.

Sedentary Lifestyle

Does your elderly loved one watch a lot of television? Whenever you or an elder care provider go visit, are they usually sitting down or resting? If this is the case, your elderly loved one might be living a sedentary lifestyle. Research shows that inactivity can increase a person’s risk of getting Type 2 diabetes.

You and elderly care providers can help your elderly loved one to get moving, so they can reduce their risk of getting diabetes. Two ways that you can do this are by helping them to make an exercise schedule or even working out with them.

Conclusion

These are just some of the risk factors for Type 2 diabetes. However, now that you are aware of what can cause this type of diabetes, you and elder care providers can help your elderly loved one to lower their risk of getting it. If you suspect your elderly loved one already has diabetes, you should have them see a doctor. There may possibly still be ways that it can be managed without medications.

If you or someone you know needs help with Elder Care in Ada, MI, contact Gauthier Family Home Care. We provide quality and affordable home care services in our community. Call us at (616) 258-2300 for more information.

Sources

https://medlineplus.gov/diabetestype2.html

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