Recognising a person who is deteriorating

Concept of frailty

Frailty is related to the ageing process – that is, simply getting older.

It describes how our bodies gradually lose their inbuilt reserves, leaving us vulnerable to dramatic, sudden changes in health triggered by seemingly small events such as a minor infection or a change in medications or environment.

In medicine, frailty defines the group of older people who are at highest risk of adverse outcomes such as falls, disability, admission to hospital, or the need for long-term care.