Social frailty: the importance of social and environmental factors in predicting frailty in older adults

Abstract

Frailty can have multifaceted contributors, including physical, psychological, social and environmental elements. There is a lack of clarity surrounding frailty as it lacks a universal common definition, multiple factors are attributed to frailty and no definitive assessment tool is available. The evidence suggests that there is a lack of research to indicate causal relationships between the various determinants of frailty in ageing individuals. This review discusses the important role that social and environmental factors play in predicting the risk of frailty in older adults, as well as discussing the various signs of frailty. Health professionals in primary and community care settings are well placed to prevent and identify social frailty in the persons they care for.