If your loved one has type 2 diabetes, they may need to use insulin injections to keep their symptoms under control. We are aware that some seniors cringe at the thought of needles. If your loved one is someone who dislikes needles, Buckeye Home Health Care is here to share a few tips on helping them overcome this fear. Take a look:

1. Apply tension. A strategy that our caregivers here at our Home Health Care Services in Ohio use is telling the patient to tense their arms, legs, and shoulders for 15 seconds, then relaxing for 30 seconds. This technique will help raise your senior’s blood pressure before the shot and decreases the chance of fainting.
2. Do breathing exercises. Breathing exercises help lower a patient’s heart rate. Have your patient sit down comfortably, make sure their shoulders and jaw are relaxed. Instruct them to breathe deeply in through the nose and exhale through the mouth. Place your hand on their belly, you should feel it rising and falling.

Perform this 5 times in a row, 3 times a day for one week.

Overcoming one’s fear of needles will not happen overnight, so please be patient with your loved one. If you feel anxious giving your senior their insulin shot, give our Skilled Nursing in Chillicothe, Ohio a try.

It can be scary to administer the shots yourself, so a Home Health Aide in Westerville, Ohio could be the right option for you and your loved one. Call to learn more.