Frailty detection tools in geriatric rehabilitation: a systematic review

Key Points

1. Frailty significantly increases an older adults’ vulnerability to adverse health outcomes like falls, fractures, disability, and dementia and there are over 40 frailty tools validated among older adults.

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BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE

Frailty, a decline in reserve that increases an individual’s vulnerability to stressors, is associated with numerous negative health-related consequences, including falls, fractures, disability, and dementia. Thus, it is essential to identify an older adult’s level of frailty. According to Faller et al (2019), there are 50 additional frailty tools, of which 40 are validated for use within community-dwelling older adults (1). Due to the large number of tools and the importance of frailty it is essential to identify which tools are best for geriatric rehabilitation.

This study aimed to:

1. Review current research on frailty screening tools in geriatric rehabilitation;

2. Assess how frailty relates to clinical outcomes, and

3. Identify the best instruments for predicting frailty among older adults seeking geriatric rehabilitation.

Frailty, a decline in reserve that increases an individual’s vulnerability to stressors, is associated with numerous negative health-related consequences, including falls, fractures, disability, and dementia.

Community-based physical therapy clinics that focus on functional outcomes, gait speed and frailty phenotype are the primary tools.

METHODS

Design: Systematic Review.

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