The concept of frailty in older patients is important in healthcare, but can be problematic as older people often find the term pejorative. Around 40% of older patients with unplanned hospital admissions in high income countries have moderate or severe frailty. Identifying frail patients can help provide better care, keep them at home, avoid harm, and potentially reverse frailty. NHS England has included assessment targets for frailty in its guidance. Research on frailty is ongoing, but there is a need to collaborate with older people to develop better ways of talking about the condition. Older people often see frailty as a state of decline and associate it with negative stereotypes.
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Does frailty need a new name?
