Sanofi is to fund key diabetes training to care home staff to help improve health outcomes.
It is thought 450,000 people currently reside in care homes, with approximately a quarter of those with diabetes. People with diabetes in care homes can be at a higher risk of hospitalisation and develop other health concerns if their diabetes is not managed appropriately.
Sanofi has partnered with award-winning healthcare professional training organisation Eden, based at the Leicester Diabetes Centre, to provide a virtual education programme called Sanofi Cares. The aim is to educate and improve the knowledge and confidence of care home staff to effectively manage people with diabetes. It will be delivered through E-Learning with additional mentoring support and is available for staff in care and community homes, including registered nurses and non-registered practitioners, such as HCAs and Social Care staff.
It is hoped that by providing a competency-based consistent education programme across a platform for care home staff and community care teams across the UK, Sanofi can help standardise knowledge and care across the country for people living with diabetes in care homes.
The blended training includes an introduction to diabetes, care planning and improving the quality of life and wellbeing among those with the condition.
“I am excited and heartened to see a focus on this important area of diabetes care. Having worked in this area with primary care teams, and as a secondary care clinician, I have seen first-hand the impact of diabetes on this older, more vulnerable population,” says Dr Amar Puttanna, Consultant Diabetologist, West Midlands, who is working in partnership on the development of the programme. “Helping to support care homes, community and primary care colleagues by providing education is something I believe will have a great impact on patient care. I am looking forward to working with the Sanofi and Eden teams to see what differences we can make to support our patients and improve care.”
Sessions will focus on key subjects such as foot care, complications, blood glucose monitoring, and care planning. The overall aim is to improve the diabetes knowledge and confidence of care home staff in caring for people with diabetes.
