What is frailty?

‘Frailty is the inability to withstand illness without the loss of function.’ (K. Rockwood)⁹⁴

Frailty is a distinctive health state related to the ageing process in which multiple body systems gradually lose their in-built reserves. A person living with frailty is vulnerable to significant, and often sudden, changes in health and function, in response to what would usually be a minor stressor event or change, such as a simple infection or an alteration in medication.

People living with frailty are more likely to suffer from adverse effects of medication.⁹⁷ This group also has a shorter life expectancy to gain benefit from medication compared to those not living with frailty. It is important to focus on reducing medication-related harm in this group of adults in particular, to avoid physical and cognitive impairment.

It is important to remember that frailty:

• while associated with ageing is not an inevitable outcome of ageing
• varies in degree from mild to very severe
• is not static and that people can become more or less frail, and reversable causes for increasing frailty should be considered
• is associated with increased morbidity and mortality, and adverse outcomes such as falls, delirium, hospital admission, and the need for long-term institutional care
• considerably impacts a person’s quality of life
• increases the use of primary care and unplanned secondary care services