Your mom has recently been diagnosed with diabetes. She’s been told what she needs to do by her doctor, but she’s struggling with diabetes care at home. Talk to her doctor about home health care services that help her understand and manage diabetes.

Diabetes care is more than watching what she eats. Your mom needs to get enough exercise, try to get to a healthy weight, if she’s not already there, and take care of her feet. She needs to visit her dentist and eye doctor regularly. Eyecare is especially important.

The Effect of Diabetes on the Eyes

Diabetes can impact the health of the blood vessels in the back of your eye. The signs of damage are not easily noticed until it’s severe. This is why it’s vital to see an eye doctor for a complete exam each year.

Diabetic retinopathy occurs when the blood vessels in the retina are damaged. When that happens, vision decreases, and a person can become blind. Risks are higher if your mom has had diabetes for a long time, has difficulty managing her glucose levels, or has another chronic health condition like high blood pressure or high cholesterol. If she smokes, she also increases the risk.

Signs of diabetic retinopathy include double vision, dark spots, flashing lights, pain in the eye or eyes, blurry vision, and difficulty with peripheral vision. The earlier diabetic retinopathy is caught, the more treatable it is.

The risk of other eye conditions increases when you have diabetes. This includes retinal detachment, macular edema, glaucoma, and cataracts. A yearly eye exam is needed to look within the eye and ensure these problems are not occurring. The earlier treatment is given, the better it is for your mom’s vision.

Help Your Mom Take Care of Herself

As a family caregiver, you do everything possible to help your mom manage her health. You take her to doctors’ visits and drive her around. Make sure she sees her eye doctor every year. If the doctor recommends more frequent visits, schedule the appointments and make sure she attends them.

That takes care of her appointments for her eyes. How well does she do managing her diabetes at home? Does she even know what she should be doing? If she can’t remember what her doctor says, attend appointments with her and take notes. Ask about diabetes education services at home.

She could have an expert in diabetes care come to her home and show her and others in the family how to prepare diabetic-friendly meals and snacks. Plus, she’d have a home health care nurse there to show her how to check her blood sugar levels and assist with insulin injections if she needs guidance. Call our home health care agency to make arrangements. 

If you or a loved one are considering Home Health Care Services in Monroeville PA, please call and talk to the caring staff at Extended Family Care of Pittsburgh at (412) 693-6009. We will answer all of your questions.

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Stephen Sternbach

CEO at Extended Family Care Services

With over 35 years of experience, Stephen Sternbach has been the Chairman of the Board of Directors, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Extended Family Care Services since 1987. After the sale of the New York and New Jersey operations of Extended Family Care Services, Sternbach brought the company private where he remains President and CEO of this 40-million dollar company. With Sternbach at the helm, Extended Family Care Services employs more than 650 employees, in six offices throughout Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio and New York.

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