What are my options if I’ll need full-time nursing care and have diabetes?

If full-time care is needed, an extended-care, assisted-living, or nursing home is often the best option. It is important that you visit prospective sites. It is also a good idea to talk to friends, family, neighbors, or coworkers who have family members in these types of facilities.

Resources for Finding Assisted-Living Facilities

• Private or public case management social workers, including those with whom you may be in contact during a hospital stay
• Your local office on aging
• The county or state department of health
• Your primary care provider
• Your religious leader or pastoral counselor
• Local organizations or law firms for the retired or elderly

Assisted living facilities and nursing homes can be very expensive. There are four possible sources of payment: private insurance, Medicare, Med­icaid, and self-pay or private pay. Different facilities ask for different types of payments. It is important that you understand what you get for the required fees. The admissions coordinator should provide details of regular monthly charges and exactly what they do, and do not, include. Ask if there is something specific you should know about what is not covered. Ask about how they routinely care for diabetes and how they handle acute situations related to high or low blood glucose episodes.

As an alternative to nursing homes, many people are turning to assisted-living communities or foster care homes. Many of these facilities are suitable for people who do not require full-time nursing care but who might enjoy the benefit of nursing staff and neighbors close at hand.

Check to see what nursing or other services are provided before you choose an assisted-living community. There is a wide array of living situations, from communities that function much like individual apartments, to individual units that provide nursing services, to full-time nursing centers. Check to see whether any of these facilities might meet your needs.