The challenge of ageing populations and patient frailty: can primary care adapt?

The population ageing with learning/intellectual is increasingly ‘frail’. Frail people are more likely to deteriorate in their daily functioning, develop mobility limitations, are more often hospitalized, develop more often chronic diseases and have shorter survival probabilities. Frailty measures used in the general population are unlikely to be appropriate for people ageing with intellectual disabilities as many have pre-existing medical and sensory conditions and mobility and intellectual limitations. Frailty measures specific to the population with intellectual disabilities have not been widely studied. There are many different operationalizations of frailty. However it is unknown if they are applicable and valid in the population ageing with intellectual disabilities.

Caution is advised when considering fraility in this vulnerable population group as there is no agreed-upon definition of ‘fraility’ in this population nor a broadly accepted measurement strategy.