Residential care

This section is about caring for people who have diabetes and are in residential care:

Introduction

The prevalence of diabetes increases with age. One in 20 people over the age of 65 in the UK has diabetes, rising to one in five people over the age of 85 years. (Department of Health 2001b).

In a study of 30 residential and nursing homes in the West Midlands, researchers found a 12% prevalence of known diabetes and calculated that potentially one in four residents met diagnostic criteria for diabetes (Sinclair et al 2001). A study of care homes in the Newcastle upon Tyne area suggested an overall diabetes prevalence (diagnosed and undiagnosed) of 19.9% (Aspray et al 2006).

The publication of two guideline documents in 2010 marks the end of a significant period of time when there has been relatively little national guidance specific to the care of residents with diabetes in long-term care settings. A Task and Finish Group of Diabetes UK has updated the guidance published by the British Diabetic Association in 1999 bringing together the evidence base and providing recommendations and guidance on many different aspects of care for adults with diabetes in residential and nursing home (Diabetes UK 2010a).  

These are summarised as 'primary recommendations which sustain effective diabetes care within care homes' under three categories – relating to residents of care homes, relating to care home institutions and relating to the organisation of diabetes care. Emphasis is also placed on the importance of commitment to improving care of residents with diabetes by all healthcare professionals involved and with support from health and social care organisations if these recommendations are to be achieved.

In Northern Ireland the Guidelines and Audit Implementation Network (GAIN) has published guidelines setting out four minimum standards of care which will be subject to audit, and which provide guidance that aims to reduce the risks of developing complications and optimise quality of life of people with diabetes living in care homes (Guidelines and Audit Implementation Network 2010).

It is intended that these guidelines be used in conjunction with other related national guidance and frameworks.

The key issues section of these pages on residential care looks at the content of these guidelines in more detail. 

References

Full details of the bracketed citations in the text above and, in many cases, links to the actual documents are available in the reference list within this resource. Go to the Reference list.