End of Life Care in Frailty

The increasing prevalence of frailty within the aging population poses challenges to current models of chronic disease management and end-of-life care delivery. As frailty progresses, individuals face an increasing frequency of acute health issues requiring medical attention. The ability of health care systems to recognize and respond to acute health issues in frail patients using a holistic understanding of health and prognosis will play a central role in ensuring their effective and appropriate care, including that at the end of their lives. This chapter reviews the history of palliative care and the elements of frailty that require the modification of current models of palliative care. In addition, tools and models for recognition of end of life in frailty and considerations for symptom management are introduced.