Frailty

Abstract

In an ageing society, with a continued increase in longevity, primary care is vital to improve the health of this subset of the population and identify the best use of available resources. Frailty is a loose concept, but is closely associated with increasing age, and has a significant impact on morbidity and mortality. The increasing prevalence of frailty has implications for patients, their support networks, and the health and social care systems. Research is increasingly attempting to identify how frailty can be diagnosed, or even predicted, in an attempt to holistically assess the individual to minimise the effects. Primary care has an important role to play in identifying frailty, and implementing interventions for individuals to improve outcomes for them, their carers and communities.