New national diabetes care home guidance published for consultation
Guidance created to improve the care of people living with type 1 diabetes in care homes has been published for consultation.
The Position Statement, ‘Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus in Care Homes’, was prepared by The National Advisory Panel for Care Home Diabetes (NAPCHD), chaired by Professor Alan Sinclair. Members of the panel are a multidisciplinary group of dedicated people.
It builds upon the relatively scarce information available and non-existent policies of how to manage type 1 diabetes in UK care home settings, and a relative lack of communication between all key stakeholders involved in the direct care of residents living with type 1 diabetes.
Set out into nine chapters, the guidance includes minimum standards of diabetes care, CGM targets, insulin regimens, avoiding hospitalisation and discharge planning. It also features a scheme for a community-based model of type 1 diabetes care.
In addition, it includes an Appendix comprising of key assessments such as nutritional assessment, detection of frailty, sick day rules and foot risk stratification.
Professor Sinclair, who has had extensive involvement in care home diabetes, said: “Our commitment whilst crafting this Position Statement was to address the critical gaps in understanding and managing type 1 diabetes within UK care home settings.
“With a foundation built on the deficiencies of existing information, absent policies and inadequate communication, our guidance aims to revolutionise and streamline the care of type 1 diabetes mellitus in care homes and foster collaboration for the enhanced well-being of residents.”
The first draft was completed in October 2023, and was finalised the following month for circulation and comment among stakeholders and is now published for wider consultation.
NAPCHD was formed in 2020 to benefit care home residents living with diabetes by generating a culture change in how they are cared for.
To read the Position Statement that is currently out for consultation, click here.
To take part in the consultation and to comment on the new guidance, please email sinclair.5@btinternet.com.