Diabetes – To keep OR lose your feet

According to the American Podiatric Medical Association, there are over 26 million people with diabetes and 7 million more people who do not even know they have diabetes yet. First off, diabetes is a disease that affects many parts of your body and in a very negative way.

What is diabetes? According to the Diabetes Research Wellness Foundation (DRWF)
Diabetes is a defect in the body’s ability to convert glucose (sugar) to energy.
Glucose is the main source of fuel for our body. Glucose is then transferred to the blood and is used by the cells for energy. In order for glucose to be transferred from the blood into the cells, the hormone - insulin is needed. Insulin is produced by the beta cells in the pancreas (the organ that produces insulin). In individuals with diabetes, this process is impaired.

How does one develop diabetes? According to DRWF
Diabetes develops when the pancreas fails to produce sufficient quantities of insulin

• Type 1 diabetes or the insulin produced is defective and cannot move glucose into the cells
• Type 2 diabetes - Either insulin is not produced in sufficient quantities or the insulin produced is defective and cannot move the glucose into the cells.

How are your feet affected?
High Blood sugar can damage the nerves in your feet and cause blood flow problems. Once you develop blood flow problems your feet can feel like it has “pins and needles” in them and you can start to lose feeling and not be able to feel heat, cold, pressure or pain. This lack of feeling can be dangerous because you might not be able to feel an injury, blister or sore and if it becomes infected, add that to poor blood flow and it can lead to losing your toes, foot or leg.

How many people have lost parts of their leg due to diabetes? According to the American Podiatric Medical Association

• More than 65,000 lower limbs are amputated annually due to complications from diabetes.
• After an amputation, the chance of another amputation within three to five years is as high as 50 percent

You should visit your primary care physician or a podiatrist to make sure your feet are healthy and in good shape otherwise run the risk of possibly losing your leg or parts of your leg.

First Care is the licensed home care service agency that provides top quality aides to all our clients. Our certified home health aides can help with bathing, dressing, grooming, cooking, cleaning and assist taking you or your loved one to doctor’s appointment. We are regulated by the NYS department of Health and are accredited by The Joint Commission. We provide services in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens. For your convenience, we may even schedule a nurse to visit you or your loved ones at home to evaluate the level of care that is needed at no cost to you. This will help clarify some questions you or your loved ones may have. If you would like to have more information, please feel free to contact us by phone at 718-741-5950 or on our website at http://www.1st-care.org/

Smart Senior Planning 101

As we age “gracefully”, we think about everyone’s needs in our family and try to pay special attention to make sure that they are taken care of; but what about the person whom is the most important – yourself? As the adult, we are taught to care for our children for the rest of their lives. However, in reality, you need to look after yourself to be able to better provide for your children. Sadly, most of us choose not to think of what might happen to us as we age, but if you fail to plan, then you are planning on failing and leaving that burden on your family.
We must face the facts of life as we age. Our body sometimes seems to have a mind of its own and will do whatever it wants, for instance:

• We will undoubtedly get weaker in strength
• Our bodies might hurt more (Arthritis, Osteoporosis etc…)
• We can develop medical conditions (Diabetes, High blood pressure and so on…)
• We start to lose things (like our vision, bladder control and some even our minds)

Therefore, what can we do as responsible adults?

• Create a will to make sure your loved ones get what you would like to leave them
• Get a medical proxy – Someone that can make medical decisions on your behalf if you can no longer do this for yourself
• Get a financial proxy – Someone that can manage your financial affairs on your behalf if you can no longer do this for yourself

Get advice on how to pay for your medical needs if the need arises

o Long term care insurance

o Apply for Medicaid if you qualify

o Apply for Medicare if you qualify

o Get insurance that would cover most of your senior needs

o Get supplemental insurance that would cover other services not provided by your insurance

Other options for finding financing for medical care

o Consider a reverse mortgage if you qualify – it can provide a lump sum or a steady stream of income

The fun part of being old is that one gets to retire and enjoy the grandkids if possible or take that vacation you’ve always dreamt about. The problem is that one day you can slip, trip or fall and break something and you’d be surprise on how quickly one can go from a healthy senior to a debilitated senior. It’s these tough times that one must always plan and prepare for.

At First Care of New York we know the challenges that some families face when their loved ones are struck with illnesses such as: Alzheimer’s, arthritis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), etc. or are hurt due to accidents or falls. A lot of times these things happen suddenly like strokes or embolism, which can leave one severely disabled. It is during these times when you can call First Care of New York to care for yourself or your loved one. We can help you every step of the way from finding financing options to getting the right care you or your loved one may need. Our certified home health aides can assist with all activities of daily living such as: bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, cooking, cleaning, laundry, run errands and even assist with going to doctor visits. Don’t let an accident or declining health become a burden on you or your entire family. We can help anywhere in The Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan and we also accept many forms of payment from Medicaid, Private Insurance, workers compensation, as well as private paying clients. If you would like more information, please feel free to give us a call at 718-364-7251 x9 or check out our website at http://www.1st-care.org/.