5 Ways Diabetes Can Affect Older Adults

November is Diabetes Awareness Month, a perfect time to expand your knowledge about this prevalent but sometimes silent disease. While approximately 12% of the American population have diabetes, over 30% of seniors over age 65 have it. About 25% of those who have diabetes aren’t aware of it. Older adults are more at risk of developing diabetes-related complications, like hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), kidney failure, and heart disease. Here are five ways diabetes can affect seniors.

1. Eye problems. Diabetes, along with aging, can lead to cataracts, glaucoma, and retinopathy, where damaged blood vessels in the eye leak fluid. Visit your eye doctor at least once a year for an exam with pupil dilation.

2. Gum disease. Diabetes increases your risk for gum disease as you age. It can affect your ability to fight off infections, including inside your mouth, potentially affecting your gums and other oral tissue. Untreated gum disease can lead to tooth loss.

3. Falling down. As you age, reduced vision, certain medicines, and balance problems can cause you to fall. Diabetes can damage nerves in your feet (peripheral neuropathy), and can cause pain, tingling, sensitivity, or numbness in the feet. Being unable to sense where your feet are can cause you to trip or fall.

4. Dementia and other memory-related illnesses. Dementia and Alzheimer’s are both linked to aging and diabetes. High blood sugar caused by diabetes can affect many organs, including your brain, potentially reducing your memory, your ability to learn, and your reasoning skills, along with your ability to do normal daily tasks.

5. Depression. Diabetes is linked with a high prevalence of depression; untreated depression can reduce your ability to maintain self-care and make healthy lifestyle choices.

If you’re a resident of a wonderful independent and assisted living community like Newton Village, ask your resident nurse about the symptoms and dangers of diabetes.

For more information, please contact:

Newton Village

110 N. 5th Avenue W

Newton, Iowa 50208

641-792-0115

www.newtonvillage.org