Managing type 1 diabetes in frailty

Abstract

Managing type 1 diabetes in frail elderly people can be logistically challenging, particularly for those living alone. District nurse visits are unpredictable and coincide poorly with meal time insulin regimes. Elderly people, particularly those with dementia, have variable oral intake and activity. For some, poor glycaemic control leads to frequent and prolonged inpatient admissions. The use of technology, such as flash glucose monitoring, and the use of analogue insulins can be helpful in this setting. Increased monitoring enables more accurate titration of insulin doses and the information can be accessed by healthcare professionals and carers remotely. Longer lasting analogue insulins allow for a greater margin of error in the timing of insulin administration.

Keywords: Diabetes; Long term care.