The older person with diabetes: considerations for care

With the increasingly ageing population worldwide, more older people are living with diabetes. The conditions that often accompany older age, such as dementia, renal impairment, visual impairment and manual dexterity difficulties, can make diabetes management complex and self-care challenging. However, the status of older people varies considerably, and so choice of glucose-lowering agents and clinical targets should be individualised to maximise safety and ensure that the risks of treatments do not outweigh the benefits. For many patients, there will be an increasing dependence on others to manage their diabetes care, so an appropriate skill mix among healthcare professionals and carers, adequate training and regular competency assessment are crucial to support patients to remain safe and symptom free from diabetes.