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Diabetes: A Growing Concern in Long-Term Care Facilities

EDINA, Minn., July 26 /PRNewswire/ — In the United States, half of all diabetes cases occur in individuals aged 55 and older. In addition, 26 percent of nursing home residents have diabetes. As the fifth-deadliest disease in the country, diabetes predominance in the elderly is a leading cause of skyrocketing healthcare costs, with one in every 10 healthcare dollars spent on diabetes. Hypoguard USA, Inc. a leading manufacturer of diabetes monitoring products and related devices suggests that facilities should develop a strategy to prevent, monitor and manage diabetes and promote better health in residents. Doing so will allow facilities to offer cost-effective solutions to this growing epidemic.

“Long-term care facilities are confronted with a variety of diseases and conditions that require ongoing monitoring,” said David Conn, Hypoguard’s President. “As the LTC market leader in the diabetes care industry, it is our aim to assist clients in staying current with their diabetes management programs.”

Type 2 Diabetes, which is what I have, is what most adults get as they age. Read on.

According to the American Diabetes Association, approximately 18.3 percent of the population 60 years and older, or 8.6 million people, has diabetes. Because the risk for Type 2 diabetes increases with age, facilities should take proactive measures to screen residents for symptoms and test high-risk patients. The American Medical Directors Association (AMDA) suggests the following steps to evaluate diabetes management programs.

— Assess the current diabetes situation
— Screen high-risk patients who have not been diagnosed with diabetes
— Order appropriate lab tests to determine the resident’s condition
— Assess the patient’s hyperglycemia and identify the cause
— Confirm diabetes diagnosis
— Evaluate the nature and severity of diabetic complications
— Obtain input from staff who have worked with the resident
— Summarize the patient’s condition
— Develop an individualized care plan and define treatment goals
— Address causes and complications with the resident and caregivers
— Use oral hypoglycemia agents or insulin as necessary
— Implement the care plan
— Re-evaluate the patient at regularly scheduled intervals
— Routinely monitor the patient’s blood glucose levels

With ever-changing technology and a disease that can be relatively controlled through diet and exercise, it is imperative that a facility regularly evaluates the status of its diabetes management program.

If you can, read the whole article. Then think about your aging parents, grandparents, friends, or loved ones. Learn the signs of a diabetic and get them help if you can.