[Who should provide diabetes care to elderly diabetic patients with decreased self-management skills?]

As a result of the rapid aging of society, the number of elderly diabetic patients with a decreased self-management ability in Japan is increasing. At present, family members primarily perform injection at home and measure the blood glucose levels for patients who require these procedures. However, as aging progresses and the birthrate further declines, it is expected that it will become difficult for such patients to receive assistance from their family members. Therefore, a discussion at the national level and development of urgent measures are required. In the future, the expanded involvement of those with medical qualifications and augmented multi-occupational collaboration-specifically, increasing the frequency of visiting nursing services, facilitating injections at home by pharmacists and making the most of "community-based integrated care systems", without major changes in the current legislation, will be foremost in reinforcing or taking the place of family members performing injections at home and measuring blood glucose levels. If cost is given the highest priority, injection at home and measurement of blood glucose levels by non-medical and non-nursing care workers seems to be the best option. However, careful deliberation is required.