Frailty

Frailty
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FrailtyIntroduction
Frailty, with reference to a medical condition, lacks a widely accepted definition (Fried, et al, 2004). However, it is agreed that it is a condition that is mostly associated with the older populations. Usually, it is associated with higher risks from injuries, morbidity as well as mortality as one becomes progressively older. However, in spite of the fact that frailty is associated with the older populations, there are elderly people that are as fit as younger populations. Therefore, frailty does not affect all elderly people (Campbell & Buchner, 1997). The purpose of this study is to provide the characteristics of the condition, evaluate the effects of frailty on different age groups as well as how the condition affects the daily living of individuals that are affected.
Identification of frailty
Frailty, being a condition is rather complicated with reference to diagnosis or identification. The fact that even medical authorities fail to provide a definition of the condition causes the encounters of the medial professionals with the condition to rely on experience and instinct with reference to diagnosis and identification. This influences the prognosis of the patient (Fried, et al, 2004). The severity of the symptoms that are characteristic from frailty is different with reference to individuals and their lifestyles among other factors. The general symptoms of frailty include loss of body weight and body muscle, difficulty in mobility, weakness and exhaustion that are probably magnified by being inactive. The presence of these symptoms predisposes an individual to falls, disability, and lack of capacity to carry out daily activities, frequent visits to the hospitals and probable admissions as well as death. Studies have linked frailty to genetics, hormones and reduced muscular strength (Fiatarone, et al, 1994). The diagnosis and identification of frailty is further complicated by the fact that it may exist alongside other diseases and injuries and thus may be viewed as a consequence of old age or the other diseases (Wolf, et al, 1996).
Characteristics of frailty
The time through which an individual suffers from frailty can be altered by treatment or lack thereof. With the failure of an individual to seek treatment geared towards frailty as a condition by itself, the more likely that the patient’s condition will continue to worse (Winograd, et al, 1991).
Long Term
The patient may in the long term become weaker, become more predisposed to falls and diseases besides losing the energy required for mobility. However, if a patient seeks treatment, he or she will delay the course of frailty and may therefore be able to enjoy life in relative independence.
Uncertainty of Treatment
However, the success of treatment is not always guaranteed, as the patient may be unable to undergo physical workouts due to exhaustions. Sometimes, for no good reason, is simply not effective (Fiatarone, et al, 1994).
Efforts at Palliation
If a patient does receive treatment for frailty, he or she may manage without palliative care if the treatment is successful. However, patients that choose or fail to undergo treatment will almost always need palliative care.
Multiple Diseases
The development of other diseases whist one is suffering from frailty is determined by the health of an individual, their lifestyles even in the past as well as their personal and environmental hygiene (Fried, et al, 2004). For example, cancer cannot be prevented from occurring in a patient that smoked in the past or those that used to smoke. However, the ingestion of clean and healthy meals as well as the living in a safe and clean environment prevents the development of infectious diseases and injuries among the elderly and frail patients.
Ancillary Services
Individuals that are suffering from frailty require a wide range of support services such as exercise, opportunities to mingle with others, clean and healthy nutrition, clean and healthy surroundings in addition to the need for them to be clean and healthy (Strauss, Corbin, Fagerhaugh, Glaser, Maines & Suczek, 1984). Give the state of health of these patients, they may not have the physical capacity to meet these needs by themselves; even social contact has to be arranged.
Expensive
Therefore, the provision of care to individuals that are suffering from frailty is not only demanding, but expensive as well. This is especially so when the costs of treating other diseases and injuries are factored in (Campbell & Buchner, 1997).
Likely impact of frailty on lifestyle for people
Frailty is not associated with the youth and the state of health among the youth does not determine the development of frailty in the future. However, like all diseases, frailty has ways of affecting even individuals that are not suffering from it. To begin with, a portion of the taxes that every taxpayer irrespective of age pays goes towards the care of the frail in special homes for the elderly, in public hospitals through public social and hospital insurance. Living with an individual that is suffering from frailty comes with out of the ordinary responsibilities for the caregivers irrespective of their age as well (Fried, et al, 2004). The burden of care that is associated with looking after people with frailty is associated with the relationship with the individual as well as the stage of life of the caregiver. Individuals between twenty and sixty years are often charged with other duties such as education, work, family and friends and the care of an individual considered frail may be very taxing (Fiatarone, et al, 1994). This is the reason why most people choose to place their loved ones into homes that have specialists in caring for the frail. Additionally, witnessing the constant progression of frailty from bad to worse may have negative psychological consequences for the family of the frail individual (Campbell & Buchner, 1997).
The prevention of medical crises among the frail may be remedied by seeking treatment specifically for frailty as well as factors that may cause frailty to advance. Interventions for alleviating the symptoms associated with the musculo-skeletal system include exercise and training particularly resistance exercises and aerobics. Resistance exercises will involve the use of weights to improve the tone and volume of muscles as well as to improve the speed of walking. Some experts employ tai Chi to improve balance and gait whereas lingual exercises promote easier swallowing among th...