Riverdale Senior Services Highlights Practical Diabetes Prevention for Older Adults

With the Bronx facing the highest rate of diabetes in New York State, Riverdale Senior Services is spotlighting practical ways older adults can manage — or even prevent — the disease during National Diabetes Awareness Month.

On Nov. 17, the organization brought together medical specialists, nutrition experts and fitness instructors for a series of workshops aimed at giving seniors clear, realistic strategies they can use in their daily lives.

Among them was Carlos Tejeda, a community health specialist with Montefiore Einstein, who said the Bronx’s long history of poor health outcomes makes education even more urgent. The borough has ranked last among New York’s 62 counties for more than a decade, he told The Press, largely because of long-standing inequities and limited access to preventive care.

Tejeda’s work focuses on building health literacy — helping older adults understand the symptoms of diabetes, the risk factors and the complications that can develop when the disease goes untreated. 

He said better education can reduce hospital visits and severe outcomes, emphasizing that prevention is a key factor in improving the borough’s long-term health.

The workshops shifted from clinical to practical when nutritionist Maudene Nelson hosted a cooking demonstration, walking seniors through how foods digest in the body. Nelson explained that carbohydrates break down at different speeds — and that slow-digesting foods such as whole fruits, vegetables, oats and beans help stabilize blood sugar more effectively than juices or processed snacks. She urged older adults to pay attention not just to what they eat, but how their meals are prepared.

Whole foods, she noted, often outperform packaged ones, and small choices in the kitchen can meaningfully change blood sugar patterns.

Her advice was grounded in simplicity: avoid sugary drinks, lean on affordable produce and consider how fiber slows digestion. Rather than overwhelming people with restrictions, Nelson encouraged them to build meals around balance and familiarity.

She summed up her approach with one repeated question: “How slowly does it go from your belly to your blood?”

The message that small shifts matter carried into the fitness portion of the day.

Female Fight Club founder Johanna Edmondson told The Press that the Bronx not only leads the city in diabetes prevalence, but also in diabetes-related amputations. She stressed that exercise doesn’t need to be strenuous to be effective. Simple routines like daily walking, chair exercises or basic strength movements can improve circulation and help regulate blood sugar.

Her advice focused on consistency, community support and finding ways to move that feel accessible and sustainable.

In speaking with The Press on the significance of marking National Diabetes Awareness Month, Riverdale Senior Services Executive Director Tina Cardoza-Izquierdo shared her own journey with Type 2 diabetes. She recalled having struggled with medication side effects that eventually required insulin injections, which in turn led to rapid weight gain.

“It was just the snowball effect from there,” she said. 

At one point, she gained 87 pounds.

Cardoza-Izquierdo eventually overhauled her habits — adopting structured eating patterns, exercising four times a week, and using a continuous glucose monitor. Her levels dropped, placing her back in a healthy range.

“I feel like myself again,” she said.

She also pointed to a challenge she sees daily: persistent isolation among older adults since the pandemic. Many, she said, remain afraid to leave their homes or re-engage socially — which can worsen diabetes outcomes and limit access to help. Breaking that isolation, she noted, is often the first step toward improving someone’s health.

Her hope is that seniors walk away from the seminar feeling not just informed but empowered.

“You only know what you know,” she said. “There is a way to change your lifestyle.”