For senior living residents with diabetes, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration just opened the door for software-backed tools that could make treatment easier. This week, the FDA cleared the use of an adaptive algorithm for automatic insulin delivery, removing the need to manually adjust insulin pump therapy settings.
Specifically, the FDA approved the Beta Bionics iLet ACE Pump and the iLet Dosing Decision Software for people with type 1 diabetes. These two devices, along with compatible integrated continuous glucose monitors, make up the iLet Bionic Pancreas, an automated insulin dosing system that uses an algorithm to determine insulin delivery.
“Today’s action will provide the type 1 diabetes community with additional options and flexibilities for diabetes management and may help to broaden the reach of AID technology,” said Jeff Shuren, director of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, in a statement. “The FDA is committed to advancing new device innovation that can improve the health and quality of life for people living with chronic diseases that require day-to-day maintenance like diabetes through precision medicine approaches.”
For senior living administrators, diabetes care and monitoring programs are critical in managing residents’ overall health. More than 11% of Americans and an estimated 33% of adults aged 65 or older have diabetes, which impairs the body’s ability to make or use insulin properly. Fully 20% of assisted living residents had diabetes in 2018, according to a 2021 report from the CDC. Older adults with diabetes face a higher risk for hypoglycemia, kidney failure and heart disease.
Technology is a growing presence in testing and managing diabetes for seniors. A recent study by medtech company Know Labs of Bio-RFID sensors to monitor glucose levels in a non-invasive manner had promising results. For patients with uncontrolled diabetes, glucose levels need to be checked numerous times a day, meaning frequent blood draws.
