Diabetes Association Issues Position Statement Addressing Long-Term Care

​Clinicians must understand the characteristics of long-term care residents, the challenges and barriers they face, and the ways long-term care settings function in order to develop individualized approaches to diabetes management, emphasizes a position statement from the American Diabetes Association published in the February 2016 issue of Diabetes Care. Because the population of older adults with diabetes is "highly heterogeneous in terms of comorbid illnesses and functional impairments," the statement recommends carefully evaluating the resident's overall health and comorbidities to inform the selection of goals and treatments. It also suggests considering the individual's living situation and social support.