The challenge

Older people are more likely to have diabetes - as many as 1 in 4 older people in residential and nursing care will have diabetes.

Diabetes in older people is often a dynamic and complex interaction between the process of ageing, a major metabolic disturbance, widespread vascular disease, and functional loss. Cognitive dysfunction, depressive illness and falls are also important complications which require novel and innovative strategies to minimise their risk of development.

How is NHS Diabetes supporting you?

NHS Diabetes is working in partnership with the Institute of Diabetes for Older People (IDOP) and other key partners to improve the quality of care for all older people with diabetes across different settings including inpatients, care homes, and in the community. Our work includes:

• Promoting examples of best clinical practice and evidence-based interventions.
• Providing a simple but valid cognitive assessment tool.
• Developing an audit tool for residents of care homes as a collaborative project with Diabetes UK.
• Promoting cultural change in how older people with diabetes are cared for.
• Providing a ‘good guidance’ document on diabetes care for older people supported by a comprehensive web resource and educational tools.
• A commissioning guide (PDF 3MB) for diabetes and older people has also been published by NHS Diabetes to support our commissioning process. The guide includes an intervention map detailing all of the elements needed for the service as well as a contracting framework and service specification template. It supports our commissioning approach which offers a step-by-step guide in how to deliver high quality, efficient and cost effective diabetes services.
• Developing a national Diabetes in Older People Network to promote service development and improve clinical and social care outcomes.