Diabetes care in care homes

Improving diabetes support in care homes

By 2050 the number of people aged 85+ will be over eight million in the UK. The number of older people living with diabetes is set to rise, with a growing population requiring care in their older age. One in four people in care homes have diabetes.

Use the following resources and tools to improve care for people in care homes living with diabetes.

Essential Reading

• NEW: Type 1 Diabetes in care homes: A practical guide on management (Open access, published Nov 2024)
• NEW: Ageing well with diabetes: the role of technology (Open access, published 13 August 2024)
• NEW: Diabetes care for care homes (a webinar, chaired by Professor Alan Sinclair on NAPCHD strategic document - April 2022)
• Dexamethasone and Oxygen Therapy in Care Home Residents with Diabetes (A management guide and algorithm for treatment pdf, 33KB)
• UPDATED: End of Life Guidance for Diabetes Care - Nov 2021 (PDF, 5.7MB)
• Position statement on Diabetes care for older people resident in care homes (June 2014) - June 2014 (PDF, 234 KB)
• England-wide care home diabetes audit - Spring 2014 (PDF, 1.6MB)
• Managing medicines in care homes, NICE website - March 2014
• TREND and IDOP: Diabetes and dementia: Guidance on practical management - Oct 2013 (PDF, 264KB)
• Older people with type 2 diabetes - 2012 (pdf, 483KB)
• Good clinical practice guidelines for care home residents with diabetes January 2010 (PDF, 475 KB)
• 
  You can also access summary guides for this topic.
• Transition between inpatient hospital settings and community or care home settings for adults with social care needs, NICE website - (December 2015)
  
  You can also access summary guides for this topic. 

Shared Practice Examples

• Improving the care and management of older adults with diabetes living in the care home setting (PDF, 267KB)

• The impact of providing enhanced support for care home residents in Rushcliffe - March 2017(PDF, 335KB)
  
  This briefing looks at the impact of an enhanced support package for older people living in care homes. Introduced in April 2014, it was developed by Principia, a local partnership of general practitioners, patients and community services that aims to provide better quality of care for people in Rushcliffe in Nottinghamshire, England.

• NICE local practice examples, NICE website
   
• Improving diabetes management in care homes in Swale, Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust (June 2016) (PDF, 1.7MB)

Resources 

• Resident’s diabetes passport (pdf, 164KB)
   
• How to: manage insulin administration in the community, Diabetes UK - February 2016 (PDF, 248KB)

Training courses

• Diabetes in healthcare - our introductory education tool for healthcare professionals, covering both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
• Introductory module: The Reasons for Learning - Care Home Audit (1608KB)

The new set of modules below, developed by Professor Alan Sinclair, are to support staff working in care and residential homes who look after residents living with diabetes. 

Module A - Principles of Diabetes: 

1. Screening prevention and early detection (PDF, 1.35MB) 
2. Promoting self care (PDF, 769KB)
3. Basics of Diabetes (PDF, 943KB)
4. Diet and exercise (PDF, 756KB)
5. Blood glucose and urine monitoring (PDF, 475KB)

Module B - Treating Diabetes: 

1. Oral therapies (PDF, 964KB) 
2. Injectable therapies (PDF, 1.04MB)
3. Hypoglycaemia (PDF, 1.04MB) 
4. Hyperglycaemia (PDF, 385KB)
5. Intercurrent illness (PDF, 870KB)

Module C - Vascular and Non Vascular Complications of Diabetes:

1. Neuropathy and diabetes foot disease (PDF, 1.06MB)
2. Nephropathy (PDF, 899KB)
3. Retinopathy (PDF, 806KB)
4. Cardiovascular disease (PDF, 628KB)

Disclaimer - Please note you may find this information of use but please note that these pages are not updated or maintained regularly and some of this information may be out-of-date.