A review in the underscores the critical importance of addressing frailty among older adults. Titled "Frailty in Older Adults," the comprehensive article offers an in-depth analysis of the biological underpinnings of frailty, the necessity of early detection and intervention, and outlines promising future directions for health care professionals. Authored by Dae Hyun Kim MD, ScD, MPH, founder of the Frailty Research Program at the Marcus Institute for Aging Research at Hebrew SeniorLife and Kenneth Rockwood, MD, MPA, FRCPC, a Professor in the Division of Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada, the review discusses frailty as a condition characterized by diminished physiological reserve and increased vulnerability, significantly impacting the effectiveness and safety of health care interventions.
Current management strategies are evolving to be more personalized, addressing the unique needs of older adults on the basis of an assessment of their frailty and its contributors. "Frailty should be a pivotal consideration in health care planning for the elderly, guiding both preventive and therapeutic decisions," said Dr. Kim.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), a federal agency providing coverage to more than 160 million people, "recently approved the inclusion of age-friendly hospital measure domains as part of the hospital inpatient quality reporting program. One of the five domains is frailty screening and , which .