Care home treatment of diabetes patients ‘must be improved’

The standard of care offered to diabetes patients in care homes has been condemned as "absolutely not good enough" by a healthcare charity.

Jenny Hirst, co-chair of the Insulin Dependent Diabetes Trust, has raised concerns over the poor treatment of diabetes sufferers in UK care homes, saying the issue is often ignored.

The comments come in response to a recent Diabetes UK report showing that one care home resident with diabetes is admitted to hospital every 25 minutes, owing to failings in the screening processes employed by the facilities.

Ms Hirst said that more training and education must be given to staff and carers to help address the issue, as well as ensuring better communication between doctors and homes.

She also expressed worry over the poor level of awareness of the illness across the country, particularly regarding the difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes, the latter of which can be avoided via lifestyle improvements.

"Everybody is aware that diabetes, particularly type 2 diabetes, is … on the increase, but the message [about] what to do about it and how to prevent it is not getting through," Ms Hirst explained.