How can I provide person-centred care for older people living with frailty?

E-learning
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Members only
An elearning module or article about an e-learning module which is run an managed by the British Geriatrics Society
Authors:
Helen Lyndon
Topics:
Frailty
Date Published:
26 November 2018
Last updated: 
26 November 2018

This Practice Question has been published with the kind permission of the Royal College of Nursing.

Healthcare needs to change radically to better meet the needs of the ageing population. In the next 17 years the number of people aged 65 and older is projected to rise by 41% to more than 16 million (Age UK 2018). In older people, limiting disability is often preceded by a state characterised by reduced capacity to respond to stressors, caused by a decline in functional reserves. This condition is frailty. As frailty progresses, individuals become more susceptible to developing conditions known as frailty syndromes, which include multiple falls, acute confusion/delirium, sudden loss of mobility and incontinence. These events often result in admission to hospital after which frail older people experience increased lengths of stay and loss of independence.