Objective To investigate the prevalence of multiple geriatric syndromes in the elderly inpatients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, and determine the accumulated effects of multiple geriatric syndromes on their quality of life. Methods A cross-sectional study was carried out in 397 elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus from geriatric and endocrinology departments of the affiliated hospital subjected by convenience sampling method in September 2015 to March 2016. Each subject was surveyed for general condition, quality of life as well as chronic pain, chronic constipation, urinary incontinence, risk of falling, malnutrition, sleep disorder, and polypharmacy. Results The average score of physical component summary was 277.1±64.30, and that of mental component summary was 307.00±60.45 in the patients. They averagely had 3.23±1.51 geriatric syndromes, and 44.3% of them had 4 or more. Having the syndromes or not and the number of these syndromes had effects on the physical and mental health in the elderly (P<0.05). Significant differences were seen in the scores of physical and mental component summary between the subjects with only 1 or those with 2 or more geriatric syndromes (P<0.05). Conclusion The incidence of geriatric syndromes is quite high in the hospitalized elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Many patients have a number of syndromes at the same time, and have significant poor quality life.