Frailty

Frailty is not a disease, but it profoundly influences disease expression.

Frailty is a "geriatric syndrome [that is] a state of increased vulnerability across multiple health domains that leads to adverse outcomes" (Reference, year)

• Frailty increases with age.
• People living with increased frailty have more complex needs than others of the same age.
• Frailty increases an individual’s vulnerability to adverse health outcomes like the risk of dying.
• Frailty challenges how we currently deliver health care.

Frailty across care settings

A whole system approach is necessary.

Optimizing frailty-informed care/best practices in one segment of the health system in isolation of the rest of the system is futile and creates further fragmentation.

A broad public health and life course approach is needed if early detection and assessment of those living with frailty and those in the early stages of frailty is to predict adverse health outcomes, tailor treatment and care decisions, avoid unnecessary hospitalization and emergency department visits, and lessen substantial costs for health care.