Frailty generally occurs later in life and results in physiological decline. It is estimated that more than 20% of Australians will become frail as they age,1 with declines in multiple domains, including physical function (eg weakness, slow walking speed, unintentional weight loss), cognition and nutritional status (eg appetite loss).2 Older people who are frail are vulnerable to adverse health outcomes, including procedural complications, falls, institutionalisation, disability and death.3,4 Frailty is on a spectrum, with older people with mild frailty (becoming ‘slow’ and losing muscle strength) at increased risk of becoming severely frail (resulting in loss of independence, and need for care in residential aged care home).
Frailty can also occur in younger adults, particularly vulnerable people with disability or onset of illness;5 however, more research is needed in this area.6