Diabetes UK highlights top care priorities for older people with diabetes

A national diabetes charity has revealed the top research gaps that need addressing to improve care for older adults living with diabetes. 

Diabetes UK’s Research Steering Groups have identified eight priority research areas that will help solve diabetes-related issues facing older people living with the condition.

A series of online research workshops were conducted, bringing together a range of people living with diabetes and academic and clinical experts to “shape research that will empower all people with diabetes to age well”.

Entitled ‘Ageing well with diabetes: A workshop to co-design research recommendations for improving the diabetes care of older people’, the report aims to inspire researchers to launch new studies which would look at key aspects that affect those with the condition as they age.

Jodie Chan, Research Officer for the Diabetes Research Steering Groups, said: “It is vital that people with diabetes continue to receive the best possible care as they grow older.

“This paper is a great step in that direction and an excellent example of how we are putting people with diabetes at the heart of all our research decisions and working towards a future where health inequalities in diabetes care are a thing of the past.”

She added: “We look forward to seeing how researchers and funders use these recommendations to shape research that will empower all people with diabetes to age well.”

The top research questions include:

• How can we improve our understanding of the characteristics of older people living with diabetes and their outcomes, and can this deliver better person-centred care?
• How are services to care for older people living with diabetes currently delivered, both for their diabetes and other conditions? How can we optimise and streamline the process and ensure everyone gets the best care, tailored to their individual needs?
• What tools might be used to evaluate the levels of understanding of diabetes in the older population amongst non-specialist healthcare professionals?
• How can virtual experts or centres most effectively provide access to specialist multi-disciplinary team expertise for older people living with diabetes and healthcare professionals caring for them?
• Is a combination of exercise and a nutrition-dense, high-protein diet effective in the prevention of the adverse effects of type 2 diabetes and deterioration in frailty, and how might this be delivered in a way which is acceptable to people with type 2 diabetes?
• How might we best use continuous glucose monitoring in older people and, for those who require support, how should the data be shared?
• How can older people living with diabetes be better empowered to manage their diabetes in their own home, particularly when living with additional long-term conditions?
• What are the benefits of models of peer support for older people living with diabetes, both when living independently and when in care?

Professor Alan Sinclair, former National Clinical Lead for Diabetes in Older People, NHS Diabetes, said: “A brilliant move forward by Diabetes UK to hold such a successful series of workshops on a topic so close to my heart.

“The work also demonstrates the key roles of people living with diabetes in promoting and developing the momentum in this crucial area of necessary research.”

Ann Middleton, who has diabetes and contributed to the recommendations, said: “Encouragingly, both the planning and workshops were a true collaboration between a wide range of healthcare professionals and people living with diabetes, and supported by Diabetes UK and The Collaborative. Now we urgently need the research community to take up the banner on our behalf.”

According to Diabetes UK, around 1.5 million people living with diabetes in the UK are over the age of 65 and growing older can make living with diabetes even more challenging. Older people with the condition are more at risk of developing diabetes-related problems, such as heart attacks and strokes.

To access the report, click here.