Samenvatting
Background: Frailty is characterized by increased vulnerability for severe adverse health outcomes. 1-2 Early detection of worsening frailty-status might help preventing exacerbation of disability and mortality in elderly persons.
Objective: To investigate changes in the degree of frailty in elderly persons living in assisted housing (service flat) during a period of 15 months.
Methods: Twenty-one elderly persons (8 male and 13 female, aged 81 +/- 4,5 years) living in assisted housing (service flat) were prospectively followed up for 15 months. All participants were assessed at baseline and after 15 months for frailty characteristics: cognitive function (Mini Mental State Examination), physical functioning (Lawton scale: Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale), nutritional status (Nutrition Screening Initiative), body composition (impedance), muscle strength (handgrip strength), balance and endurance (Berg Balance Scale, Timed Chair Stand Test, Timed up and Go). Subjects were classified as either frail (>/=3 criteria positive), pre-frail (1 or 2 criteria positive), or non frail (0 criteria positive) as determined by slow walking speed, weak handgrip strength, low activity level, exhaustion and weight loss (according to cutoff scores as described by Fried et al. 1, stratified for gender and body mass index).
Results: At baseline 38% of the participants were considered as non-frail, 57% as pre-frail and 5% as frail. In five subjects the degree of frailty worsened from non-frail to pre-frail and in three subjects from pre-frail to frail. At 15 months 14% of the subject was defined as non-frail, 67% as pre-frail and 19% as frail .
Conclusion: This study described an increase of frailty prevalence from 5% to 19% over a 15 month period in a small cohort of elderly persons living in assisted housing (service flats). Although several frailty characteristics worsened significantly, the changes in frailty-status were limited. A more responsive assessment tool addressing the degree of frailty might help monitoring elderly subjects at risk.
Objective: To investigate changes in the degree of frailty in elderly persons living in assisted housing (service flat) during a period of 15 months.
Methods: Twenty-one elderly persons (8 male and 13 female, aged 81 +/- 4,5 years) living in assisted housing (service flat) were prospectively followed up for 15 months. All participants were assessed at baseline and after 15 months for frailty characteristics: cognitive function (Mini Mental State Examination), physical functioning (Lawton scale: Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale), nutritional status (Nutrition Screening Initiative), body composition (impedance), muscle strength (handgrip strength), balance and endurance (Berg Balance Scale, Timed Chair Stand Test, Timed up and Go). Subjects were classified as either frail (>/=3 criteria positive), pre-frail (1 or 2 criteria positive), or non frail (0 criteria positive) as determined by slow walking speed, weak handgrip strength, low activity level, exhaustion and weight loss (according to cutoff scores as described by Fried et al. 1, stratified for gender and body mass index).
Results: At baseline 38% of the participants were considered as non-frail, 57% as pre-frail and 5% as frail. In five subjects the degree of frailty worsened from non-frail to pre-frail and in three subjects from pre-frail to frail. At 15 months 14% of the subject was defined as non-frail, 67% as pre-frail and 19% as frail .
Conclusion: This study described an increase of frailty prevalence from 5% to 19% over a 15 month period in a small cohort of elderly persons living in assisted housing (service flats). Although several frailty characteristics worsened significantly, the changes in frailty-status were limited. A more responsive assessment tool addressing the degree of frailty might help monitoring elderly subjects at risk.
| Originele taal-2 | English |
|---|---|
| Titel | 12-iémes Journées d'automne de la Société Belge de Gérontologie et de Gériatrie, Liége |
| Status | Published - 16 okt 2009 |