Diabetes Education: What Should Health-Care Providers In Long-Term Nursing Care Facilities Know About Diabetes?

Herein, I focus on three areas: 1) the context of diabetes in nursing homes, 2) the effectiveness of educational programs, and 3) recommendations for future directions. The 15% prevalence of diabetes in nursing homes is twice the rate in the general population. These patients have more macro- and microvascular comorbidity compared with nondiabetic nursing home residents and require 31% more hospitalizations. Targeted educational programs have been shown to improve patient care and reduce the number of hospital days by 28%. Guidelines for implementation of these educational programs take into account the special strengths and weaknesses of nursing homes. National and state initiatives should be made to increase diabetes education for health-care providers in long-term nursing care facilities.