This Toolkit is a central hub for Frailty and Dementia resources for practitioners.
This Toolkit brings together resources, tools, advice and guidance and best practice for practitioners into one location. It is a work-in progress that will be added to over time.
We welcome all feedback to the Toolkit and suggestions for content you would like to see in the future.
If you are aware of any changes in guidance or new updates that are missing from the Toolkit then please let us know. Please contact glicb.ageingwell@nhs.net to get in touch.
Frailty
The British Geriatric Society defines frailty as ‘a distinctive health state related to the ageing process in which multiple body systems gradually lose their in-built reserves’. It is also defined as a state of health which is more common among older adults. People with frailty lose their in-built reserves and their health becomes increasingly vulnerable to events such as an infection or change in medication or environment. This group of older people is at risk of adverse outcomes such as disability, falls, hospital admission, and the need for long-term care (NIHR)
Frailty is not a disease, but is a set of symptoms.
Frailty toolkit
The purpose of the frailty toolkit is to provide a structured and accessible resource that supports the identification, assessment, and management of frailty across health, social care, and community settings. Its purpose is to standardise practice by embedding validated tools like the electronic Frailty Index (eFI), Rockwood Scale, and Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA).
Dementia
Dementia is the loss of cognitive functioning (thinking, remembering and reasoning) to such an extent that it interferes with a person’s daily life and activities. Some people with dementia experience alterations in sensory perception (such as hallucinations); some cannot control their emotions and their personalities may change.
Dementia ranges in severity from the mildest stage, when it is just beginning to affect a person’s functioning, to the most severe stage when the person will be completely dependent on others for basic activities of living.