reason and make decisions affects the ability to
plan preparation of food, interpret blood glucose
readings and adjust insulin doses appropriately.
l Memory – this will impact all aspects of diabetes
management, including remembering to attend
appointments, take insulin, monitor blood
glucose levels and treat hypoglycaemia correctly.
Finally, if people have managed their diabetes
for many years, becoming dependent on others to
manage it can result in a real sense of loss, as well
as frustration if they are not permitted to continue
with aspects of care that they still feel able to
manage.
Management
The focus for management of people with both
diabetes and dementia is safety and simplicity,
along with individualisation to recognise the
ability to self-care. NICE (2010) recommends that
people with dementia should have an assessment
and personalised care plan and that, given the
progressive nature of diabetes and dementia,
these should be regularly appraised and updated.
The care plan should be shared with everyone
involved in the individual’s care, including during
hospital admission. Table 1 suggests some of the
diabetes-related considerations for such a care plan.
The European Diabetes Working Party for
Older People has developed guidelines for
appropriate blood glucose targets in older people
(Sinclair et al, 2011). These take into account
the likely benefits of tight glycaemic control in
contrast to the individual risks to the person,
their vulnerability to hypoglycaemia, their ability
to self-manage, the presence of other pathologies,
their cognitive status and their life expectancy. An
HbA1c of 53–59 mmol/mol (7.0–7.5%) is suitable
for an older person who is well and independent,
whereas 60–70 mmol/mol (7.6–8.6%) would be
appropriate for someone who is frail (defined as
dependent with multiple comorbidities, dementia
and living in a care home).
Simplification of the insulin regimen may be
difficult in certain individuals. A single daily basal
insulin injection would be insufficient for someone
with type 1 diabetes or long-standing type 2
diabetes. A certain amount of flexibility may also
need to be built into insulin management plans