What it is: Signs of frailty include unplanned weight loss, slow walking speed, weakness and low physical activity with the person feeling exhausted or tired.
Why it matters: Older people are not always frail or dependent. After the age of 80 years it is more common. Frailty affects a person’s health, and ability to recover from poor health. Frailty and dementia together predict a more rapid decline and shorter life expectancy.
Knowing when older people with life-limiting illness are frail, helps us to know they are approaching death. Careworkers spend a lot of time with the older person and by reporting signs of frailty they can make certain that the right care is received.
What I need to know: When a person is frail or at risk of becoming frail, illnesses such as infections are harder to recover from.
Older people and people with a life-limiting illness should be monitored for frailty so that care plans can be made to support their needs.