The frail elderly. Detection and management in Primary Care

• Published in: Atención primaria 2010-07, Vol.42 (7), p.388
• Main Authors: Martín Lesende, Iñaki, Gorroñogoitia Iturbe, Ana, Gómez Pavón, Javier, Baztán Cortés, Juan José, Abizanda Soler, Pedro
• Format: Article
• Language: Spanish
• Subjects: Aged; Frail Elderly; Geriatric Assessment; Humans; Practice Guidelines as Topic; Primary Health Care
• ISSN: 1578-1275
• DOI: 10.1016/j.aprim.2009.09.022

In this article the current state in the detection and management directives of the frail elderly from Primary Care are reviewed. These include the recommendations of the 2009 Preventive Activities Program and Health Promotion of the Spanish Society of Family and Community Medicine (PAPPS-semFYC) and define future lines worthy of review. The lack of defined limits between frailty and good functionality, and with disability and dependency, makes it difficult to diagnose. The two currently most widely methods for detecting the frail elderly are: screening based on risk factors with a sound prediction of suffering adverse events and functional loss (advanced age, hospitalisation, falls, changes in movement and balance, muscle weakness and little exercise, comorbidity, adverse social conditions, multiple medications, etc.) or based on the loss of incipient functionality or early loss if there is still no ostensible degree of incapacity or dependence, and with the possibilities of reversing or modifying it with suitable interventions. Other detection methods, although less used or in the experimental phase include, detection of a phenotype (geriatric syndrome) according to clinical criteria established by Fried, or by biological markers (pre-clinical stage).