Long Term Care Professionals Prepare to Serve Elderly Diabetic Population

Liz Perry for Leaders in Healthcare – March 14, 2008

Long term care professionals have another challenge ahead of them; in addition to accommodating the ever increasing aged population, a large number of those individuals are diabetic. Results of a new report from the Institute for the Future of Aging Services (IFAS) reveal one in four U.S. nursing home residents aged 65 and older has diabetes. The IFAS report also showed that diabetic residents were more likely to be admitted to nursing homes from acute care hospitals and that they use more medications than non-diabetic residents. Diabetic nursing home residents had a 39 percent higher chance of being admitted to the emergency department in the 90 days prior to the survey.

These results demonstrate the issues that must be considered planning for the special needs of this large segment of the nursing home population. Long term care administrators with hands on background in treating diabetic patients will have an edge in accommodating these individuals and ensuring quality care.