Identification
Identification
People who may be living with frailty can be identified in different ways — sometimes during their interactions with health or care services, and other times through a more proactive, population-based approach. Both methods aim to ensure individuals receive the right support tailored to their needs, at the right time.
Supporting people to live well for longer starts with prevention. By focusing on early identification, we can help individuals maintain their independence, reduce the likelihood of becoming frail, and minimise the impact frailty may have on their daily lives.
It is rare that people see themselves as ‘frail’. Instead, they might describe ‘slowing down’ or modifying activities to meet their physical ability. When you are identifying and assessing frailty, you should avoid reinforcing negative stereotypes of aging and dependency. Focus on what each person can do and what support they need to live well. Enabling people to live well with frailty requires you to understand each individual, what support networks they already have and what is important to them. It is important to optimise quantity and quality of life. Carrying out a holistic assessment will help you determine what person-centred care is appropriate. (Hospice UK)
Because people’s needs and circumstances can change over time, assessments should never be a one-off activity. Instead, they should be part of an ongoing cycle of support, regularly revisited to ensure that care remains relevant, responsive, and tailored to the individual.
Appropriate tools (Subject to your Electronic patient record (EPR) system) can be used to identify people with frailty such as:
- Electronic Frailty Index (EFI)
- Cambridge Multi-morbidity Score
- John Hopkins Frailty Assessment Calculator
- Clinical review
- Annual assessments
- Self assessment
- Proactive Care (Proactive care framework)
- Six-item Cognitive Impairment Test (6CIT)– Dementia
Useful links
FrailtyStrategy_FINALOct22.pdf