Analyses of nursing home residents with diabetes at admission.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to profile nursing home residents with diabetes at admission to the nursing facility.


METHODS
We used all admission assessments in the Minimum Data Set recorded throughout the United States during 2002 to identify 144,969 residents with diabetes, or 26.4% of all admissions.


RESULTS
Only approximately one fourth of residents with diabetes were projected to have stays in the facility of 90 days or less when admitted. Heart and circulatory comorbidities were common among residents with diabetes at admission, as was depression. More than half of residents with diabetes were in pain at admission. A majority of residents with diabetes were either totally dependent or required extensive assistance in the self-performance of many activities of daily living and more than one third were at least moderately impaired in cognitive performance.


CONCLUSIONS
Residents with diabetes could be one of the most "heavy care" groups in nursing facilities, as demonstrated by their levels of functional disability and prevalence of serious comorbid conditions. The care provided to residents with diabetes should address depression, pain, and low rates of advance care planning.
Travis
Shirley S
SS
College of Health and Human Services, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 28223-0001, USA.
Buchanan
Robert J
RJ
Wang
Suojin
S
Kim
MyungSuk
M
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D048909:Diabetes Complications; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006707:Homes for the Aged / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008134:Long-Term Care; D009735:Nursing Homes / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology