Market coverage note: This article draws on sources from both Korea and the United States. Each piece of information is labeled 🇰🇷 Korea or 🇺🇸 U.S. in the text to indicate which country's standards apply.
🇰🇷 Korea According to data released by the 건강보험심사평가원 (Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service) on World Diabetes Day 2024, among patients who received treatment for diabetes in 2023, those in their 70s accounted for 21.79% and those aged 80 and older accounted for 18.46%. In other words, more than 15 out of every 100 people aged 60 and older received treatment for diabetes. 🇺🇸 U.S. According to the CDC's 2024 National Diabetes Statistics Report, the prevalence of diabetes among U.S. adults aged 60 and older stands at 27.3%. In both Korea and the United States, diabetes is one of the most common chronic conditions older adults live with.
The challenge is that diabetes in older adults has a different character than diabetes in younger people. It is not simply a matter of keeping one blood sugar number within a target range. 🇰🇷 Korea According to data from the 대한당뇨병학회 (Korean Diabetes Association), older adults with diabetes have more co-existing conditions and, due to declining physical function, experience vision problems and gait disturbances more frequently than older adults without diabetes. In addition, hypoglycemia can lead directly to falls and fractures — the rate of hip fractures in people with diabetes is reported to be more than twice that of the general population. Focusing on a single blood sugar number can mean missing a much more serious event.
The greatest concern in older-adult diabetes is hypoglycemia. 🇺🇸 U.S. According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA) guidelines for diabetes care in older adults, as people age they may no longer feel the typical warning signs of hypoglycemia — such as hand tremors or dizziness — causing the episode to go undetected. 🇰🇷 Korea For frail older adults, it is sometimes recommended to set blood sugar targets somewhat more loosely. Maintaining safety matters more than driving numbers down. Parents who live alone deserve extra attention in this regard. When hypoglycemia occurs with no one nearby to help, the situation can become dangerous, and reports indicate that older adults living alone face a higher risk of accidents caused by hypoglycemia.
🇺🇸 U.S. Starting in April 2023, Medicare expanded coverage for continuous glucose monitors (CGM). Medicare enrollees who are prescribed insulin can now receive CGM support regardless of the type or dose of insulin, and coverage may also apply to non-insulin users who have a history of hypoglycemia. Because CGM lets caregivers monitor real-time blood sugar changes alongside their loved one, it offers practical help in managing diabetes in older adults. 🇺🇸 U.S. Medicare classifies CGM as durable medical equipment, meaning enrollees are responsible for only 20% of the cost. 🇰🇷 Korea In Korea, 건강보험 (National Health Insurance) support for CGM is centered mainly on Type 1 diabetes patients who use insulin; coverage for CGM in older adults with Type 2 diabetes remains limited, so please check with your attending physician individually.
🇺🇸 U.S. The ADA's 2025 guidelines for diabetes in older adults emphasize that older people with diabetes face an elevated risk of muscle loss, sarcopenia, and frailty syndrome, and that adequate nutrition including sufficient protein, combined with both aerobic and strength exercise, is central to management. 🇰🇷 Korea The 질병관리청 국가건강정보포털 (Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency National Health Information Portal) also identifies regular meals, self-monitoring of blood glucose, exercise tailored to the individual's condition, and diabetes education as the foundational principles of diabetes management in older adults. If you notice that a parent is eating less or has become noticeably less active, please assess their nutritional and exercise status alongside their blood sugar numbers.
For older adults who also experience memory decline, diabetes management becomes even harder. It can be difficult for them to track on their own whether they took their medication on time, whether they ate appropriately, and whether their blood sugar records are being kept. The 대한당뇨병학회 recommends that caregivers, not just patients, receive diabetes education as part of older-adult diabetes management. It is important for family members to learn in advance how to respond to emergencies such as hyperglycemia, hypoglycemia, and complications.
Finally, diabetes management is not completed by clinic visits alone. What prevents complications is whether meals, exercise, medication, and blood sugar monitoring happen consistently day to day. With the cost of diabetes treatment and the burden of its complications continuing to grow in both Korea and the United States, we encourage families to review a parent's diabetes management routine together right now. Sierra Care Advisor can help families review a parent's chronic disease management routine together and find a care direction that fits their situation.
Sources: 건강보험심사평가원 당뇨병 진료현황 발표 (November 2024); 대한당뇨병학회 Diabetes Fact Sheet in Korea 2024; 질병관리청 국가건강정보포털 노인 당뇨병; 대한당뇨병학회 노인당뇨병 관리 (Korean Diabetes Journal 2022); U.S. CDC National Diabetes Statistics Report (2024); American Diabetes Association Standards of Care in Diabetes — Older Adults 2025; CMS Medicare CGM Coverage Policy; AARP Medicare CGM Coverage guidance (2024).
Note: This article was compiled by AI from the sources cited above. We strive for accuracy, but for decisions about your specific situation, please confirm the latest guidance from a professional or the relevant agency.