New IFAS Report Examines Diabetes in U.S. Nursing Homes

Posted: March. 4, 2008

IFAS has published a new report based on analysis of the 2004 National Nursing Home Survey (NNHS). This report shows that 1 in 4 U.S. nursing home residents aged 65 and older has diabetes. This report also examined the association between diabetes and ethnicity, activities of daily living, source of admission, payment sources, length of stay (LOS), pressure ulcers, emergency department visits, and medication usage.

IFAS analysis revealed that compared to White residents, diabetes is much more prevalent in non-Whites, that diabetic residents were more likely to be admitted to nursing homes from acute care hospitals and that they use more medications than non-diabetic residents. Diabetic nursing home residents also had a 39% higher odds of being admitted to the emergency department in the 90 days prior to the survey and a 56% increased odds of having a pressure ulcer at the time of the survey.

In this brief, IFAS demonstrates the extremely high prevalence of diabetes in U.S. nursing homes and raises important issues related to planning for the special needs of this large segment of the nursing home population.

Find out how IFAS research is improving nursing home quality: Download Report

For more information contact Helaine Resnick