Managing Frailty as a Long-term Condition
Managing Frailty as a Long-term Condition
The recognition of frailty as an LTC is not merely a semantic issue—a wide range of benefits can be anticipated if the evidence base can be established that LTC management approaches are beneficial in frailty. Importantly, primary care-based registers for frailty could be established and chronic disease models applied systematically. For example, applying the House of Care model to frailty would guide provision of preventive interventions, help people with frailty participate in care planning and facilitate access to the support of a wider multidisciplinary team. Advance care planning for older people improves knowledge of individual preferences, and care can be improved by accommodating these preferences. A team approach is a key component of LTC management, incorporating support, follow-up and behaviour change interventions which go beyond the scope of a traditional medical approach. This approach would ideally require changes in secondary care to embrace greater community-based working and closer relationships with the primary, community and social care team.
Potential Benefits
The recognition of frailty as an LTC is not merely a semantic issue—a wide range of benefits can be anticipated if the evidence base can be established that LTC management approaches are beneficial in frailty. Importantly, primary care-based registers for frailty could be established and chronic disease models applied systematically. For example, applying the House of Care model to frailty would guide provision of preventive interventions, help people with frailty participate in care planning and facilitate access to the support of a wider multidisciplinary team. Advance care planning for older people improves knowledge of individual preferences, and care can be improved by accommodating these preferences. A team approach is a key component of LTC management, incorporating support, follow-up and behaviour change interventions which go beyond the scope of a traditional medical approach. This approach would ideally require changes in secondary care to embrace greater community-based working and closer relationships with the primary, community and social care team.
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