Planning for the Future: Housing and Living Arrangements for Aging with Type 1 Diabetes:

Where am I going to live out the rest of my days?

As we age, this question becomes more important, especially for those living with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D). Health needs, financial resources, and personal preferences must be carefully weighed to maintain quality of life, independence, and effective diabetes management.

While we may not want to think about needing extra help, with a bit of planning, honest discussions, and awareness of our options, these possibilities can feel far less overwhelming.

T1D to 100 has developed tools to help you navigate this journey based on real-world experience supporting an aging parent.

Staying at Home

Remaining in your own home offers the comfort of familiar surroundings and the ability to maintain independence.

However, aging with T1D may require some adjustments:

• Physical Safety: Consider implementing modifications such as ramps, grab bars, and accessible kitchens.
• Diabetes Management: Vision loss, reduced dexterity, or cognitive decline can make insulin dosing, blood sugar checks, and meal prep more challenging. You may need to consider the assistance you will require with these daily tasks.
• Access to Help: Regular support from family, friends, or professional caregivers can make it easier to handle daily tasks and emergencies.

If you plan to stay at home:

• Monitor your finances to ensure you can cover living expenses and caregiving services.
• Explore local transportation options if driving becomes difficult.
• Consider speaking with a Seniors Real Estate Specialist® (SRES®) if you eventually need to sell or modify your home. Find more here.

Use the Life Planning Worksheet to regularly assess your ability to manage daily activities and re-evaluate as needed.

Moving to a Retirement Community

Retirement communities offer opportunities for social connection, provide amenities such as transportation and meals, and offer a more supportive environment. You can often start out living independently in these settings, needing very little support,  but with access to a community that caters to seniors, with activities and age-appropriate accommodations.

But for people with T1D, there are unique challenges:

• Staff Expertise: Not all communities are well-equipped to assist with insulin dosing or recognizing hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia.
• Meal Planning: Standard meal offerings may not match diabetes-specific dietary needs.
• Emergency Response: Understand how the community handles diabetes emergencies like severe hypoglycemia or diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA).
• Cost Considerations: Fees vary significantly based on the services offered, level of care, and location.

Consider investing in a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC), a facility that allows you to transition from independent living to assisted living and more advanced care environments as your health needs change. To help with your decision, visit facilities, talk to management, and, if possible, speak with residents, particularly those living with diabetes.

Feel free to use the following tools we offer on the T1D to 100 website:

• List of questions you might ask residents and, if possible, diabetic residents, of the facilities you are considering.
• List of questions to ask while visiting/interviewing the management of any care facility you are considering.  Each facility and location may offer different rules, levels of care, and fee structures to individuals living with diabetes.  This might be a bit discouraging. Do not worry if a home is not the right place for you. Just move on and explore other options.

Pro Tip: Keep a notebook of communities visited, key contacts, questions asked, and impressions to make comparisons easier later.

Transitioning to Assisted Living

Assisted living facilities offer more intensive support, including for complex medical needs like T1D:

• Medical Support: Trained staff can help with glucose monitoring, insulin administration, and emergency care.
• Daily Management: Facilities may offer meal planning, medication reminders, and monitoring services to support residents’ needs.
• Financial Planning: Costs are often higher than those of independent living, so evaluating insurance coverage and long-term financial sustainability is crucial.

Be sure to ask detailed questions about how diabetes care is handled, as every facility is different.

Key Considerations for All Living Arrangements

• Social Connections: Staying socially engaged helps physical and mental health.
• Financial Planning: Assess not only today’s costs, but also potential future expenses as your care needs expand, which may require additional daily and monthly expenses.
• Emergency Preparedness: Ensure the facility or home care setup has strong diabetes-specific emergency protocols.
• Quality of Care: Confirm staff training in diabetes management and accessibility to specialized medical care. Also, consider how their diabetes management strategy aligns with your own historical approach to managing diabetes. How up-to-date is their approach?

Tools to Help You Plan

The Life Planning Worksheet can be a valuable tool for tracking changes in your abilities and support needs over time.

Use it to start conversations with family, caregivers, and healthcare providers early, before decisions become urgent.

As we age, this question becomes more important, especially for those living with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D). Health needs, financial resources, and personal preferences must be carefully weighed to maintain quality of life, independence, and effective diabetes management.

While we may not want to think about needing extra help, with a bit of planning, honest discussions, and awareness of our options, these possibilities can feel far less overwhelming.

T1D to 100 has developed tools to help you navigate this journey, including a Life Planning Worksheet based on real-world experience supporting an aging parent.

Last updated 08/18/2025.