Living Options for Aging T1Ds

Let’s be honest—living with Type 1 diabetes is a full-time job. And as we age, that job doesn’t get any easier. In fact, it can get more complicated, especially when we start thinking about where we want to live and how we’ll manage our diabetes as our needs change.

This section is all about helping you explore the different living options available as you get older—with your diabetes front and center. Whether you’re planning to stay in your own home, considering a move to a retirement community, or looking into assisted living or memory care, there are some unique things to think about when you’re aging with T1D.

We’ll talk through:

• Staying in your own home: What to plan for if you want to age in place, including safety tips and building a solid support team.
• Retirement communities: What questions to ask and how to find places that are welcoming and diabetes-aware.
• Assisted living and continuing care communities: What these places can (and can’t) offer when it comes to diabetes support, plus what you might need to bring or arrange on your own.
• Memory care and skilled nursing: How cognitive changes can affect diabetes management, and what to watch out for with staff experience and protocols.
• Costs: Let’s be real—managing diabetes is expensive, and those costs don’t go away as you get older. We’ll talk about what to expect and how to plan ahead.

Why This Matters

Unfortunately, many senior living communities—especially those that offer assisted living or nursing care—are not well-equipped to support people with Type 1 diabetes. The staff may not understand insulin pumps or CGMs, and many facilities follow general diabetes guidelines that are designed for people with Type 2 diabetes. That can put us at higher risk for low blood sugars, hospital visits, and poor outcomes.

A 2022 study published in Diabetes Care found that older adults with Type 1 diabetes are twice as likely to be hospitalized for severe hypoglycemia compared to people with Type 2 diabetes—especially in settings where staff aren’t trained in advanced diabetes care (Weinstock et al., 2022).

And a 2021 review in The Lancet Healthy Longevity explored the unique risks older adults with T1D face—like cognitive decline, burnout, insulin affordability, and loss of access to diabetes specialists—as they move into residential or assisted care settings.

Final Thought

You deserve to live somewhere that understands and respects the reality of Type 1 diabetes. This section is here to give you guidance, questions to ask, things to plan for, and hopefully, a little peace of mind as you think about what’s next.

Because aging with T1D isn’t just about blood sugars. It’s about living fully—and safely—with the support you need.

We hope the resources in this section will provide you with helpful information to this end!

Last updated 2025-08-08.