Preventing Frailty in Old People

Image Credit: By Staff Sgt. Michael Pryor (https://www.dvidshub.net/image/55817) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Much like children, old people are among one of the most vulnerable population segment needing specialized health care. All old people just because of their age are not as vulnerable as some of the selected old people who are known as the frail ones or those suffering from frailty.

What is frailty?

Frailty is the state of decline in the reserve and function of the body. Typical features of frailty are low grip strength, low energy, slowed walking speed, low physical activity, and/or unintentional weight loss. It results in an increased risk of falls, disability, hospitalization, and death.

Why frailty happens and who are the people who become frail?

On average at least 10% of all older adults are frail and this percentage increases with advancing age.No old person will be disease-free, but not every old person becomes frail. Old age brings challenges for everybody but some are able to address this much better due to their support systems like family, social support and income and their larger life space* Those who have poor support systems and also those who reduce their life space are at higher risk of developing frailty than those who have good support systems and have a larger life space.

When old age becomes an important concern?

You are as old as you feel! Age is an important factor and will catch up with everyone. But when you fall prey to diseases, restrict your mobility, and lose your support systems the frailty sets in and age becomes an important concern.

How one can prevent transition to frailty?

Frailty can be prevented by keeping your mobility and support systems intact and of course, addressing timely your health issues and diseases so they do not complicate things further.

Where do you find older adults with frailty?

While in the community places like parks and community meetings you mostly find non-frail ones, frail old people are often found in the homes or in hospitals. So while we cannot stop becoming older we certainly can act and prevent becoming frail with medical and social interventions.

Happy Ageing!

*Life space refers to the size of the area a person purposely moves through in his/her daily life, as well as the frequency of travel. A large life space means leaving the neighborhood more often.)

About the author: Dr. Naval Asija is a licensed MBBS Physician from India. MBBS is the equivalent of the MD degree offered by international medical schools. He is based in Delhi, India, and works as a medical writer, editor, and consultant. He supports medical researches as an author's editor, medical communication companies involved in medico-marketing activities, and medical technology companies in improving their products. He can be contacted via his LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/navalasija/

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