Frailty Levels in Residential Aged Care Facilities Measured Using the Frailty Index and FRAIL-NH Scale

Olga Theou; Edwin C.K. Tan; J. Simon Bell; Tina Emery; Leonie Robson; John E. Morley; Kenneth Rockwood; Renuka Visvanathan

doi:10.1111/jgs.14490

Frailty Levels in Residential Aged Care Facilities Measured Using the Frailty Index and FRAIL-NH Scale

Olga Theou, Edwin C.K. Tan, J. Simon Bell, Tina Emery, Leonie Robson, John E. Morley, Kenneth Rockwood, Renuka Visvanathan

Medicine

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

76 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Objectives: To compare the FRAIL-NH scale with the Frailty Index in assessing frailty in residential aged care facilities. Design: Cross-sectional. Setting: Six Australian residential aged care facilities. Participants: Individuals aged 65 and older (N = 383, mean aged 87.5 ± 6.2, 77.5% female). Measurements: Frailty was assessed using the 66-item Frailty Index and the FRAIL-NH scale. Other measures examined were dementia diagnosis, level of care, resident satisfaction with care, nurse-reported resident quality of life, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and professional caregiver burden. Results: The FRAIL-NH scale was significantly associated with the Frailty Index (correlation coefficient = 0.81, P <.001). Based on the Frailty Index, 60.8% of participants were categorized as frail and 24.4% as most frail. Based on the FRAIL-NH, 37.5% of participants were classified as frail and 35.9% as most frail. Women were assessed as being frailer than men using both tools (P =.006 for FI; P =.03 for FRAIL-NH). Frailty Index levels were higher in participants aged 95 and older (0.39 ± 0.13) than in those aged younger than 85 (0.33 ± 0.13; P =.008) and in participants born outside Australia (0.38 ± 0.13) than in those born in Australia (0.34 ± 0.13; P =.01). Both frailty tools were associated with most characteristics that would indicate higher care needs, with the Frailty Index having stronger associations with all of these measures. Conclusion: The FRAIL-NH scale is a simple and practical method to screen for frailty in residential aged care facilities.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	e207-e212
Journal	Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
Volume	64
Issue number	11
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.14490
Publication status	Published - Nov 1 2016

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
We would like to thank the Resthaven Inc. management team, research nurses, facility staff, and participants for their valuable support and participation. The initial data collection was supported by the Alzheimer's Australia Dementia Research Foundation via the Resthaven Inc. Dementia Research Award, with additional funding provided by Resthaven Inc. Conflict of Interest: TE and LR are employees of Resthaven Inc., and RV is a member of the board. Author Contributions: OT, SJB, RV: study concept, analyses, writing first draft. JSB, ET, RV, TE, LR: design and oversight of data collection. ET: data analyses. JM, KR: study concept and initial design. All authors: revisions, approval of version submitted for publication. Sponsor's Role: Staff of Resthaven Inc. contributed to the development of the data collection methodology. It was the solely the decision of the authors to submit the manuscript for publication.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2016, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2016, The American Geriatrics Society

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

Geriatrics and Gerontology

PubMed: MeSH publication types

Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

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10.1111/jgs.14490

Cite this

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title = "Frailty Levels in Residential Aged Care Facilities Measured Using the Frailty Index and FRAIL-NH Scale",

abstract = "Objectives: To compare the FRAIL-NH scale with the Frailty Index in assessing frailty in residential aged care facilities. Design: Cross-sectional. Setting: Six Australian residential aged care facilities. Participants: Individuals aged 65 and older (N = 383, mean aged 87.5 ± 6.2, 77.5% female). Measurements: Frailty was assessed using the 66-item Frailty Index and the FRAIL-NH scale. Other measures examined were dementia diagnosis, level of care, resident satisfaction with care, nurse-reported resident quality of life, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and professional caregiver burden. Results: The FRAIL-NH scale was significantly associated with the Frailty Index (correlation coefficient = 0.81, P <.001). Based on the Frailty Index, 60.8% of participants were categorized as frail and 24.4% as most frail. Based on the FRAIL-NH, 37.5% of participants were classified as frail and 35.9% as most frail. Women were assessed as being frailer than men using both tools (P =.006 for FI; P =.03 for FRAIL-NH). Frailty Index levels were higher in participants aged 95 and older (0.39 ± 0.13) than in those aged younger than 85 (0.33 ± 0.13; P =.008) and in participants born outside Australia (0.38 ± 0.13) than in those born in Australia (0.34 ± 0.13; P =.01). Both frailty tools were associated with most characteristics that would indicate higher care needs, with the Frailty Index having stronger associations with all of these measures. Conclusion: The FRAIL-NH scale is a simple and practical method to screen for frailty in residential aged care facilities.",

author = "Olga Theou and Tan, {Edwin C.K.} and Bell, {J. Simon} and Tina Emery and Leonie Robson and Morley, {John E.} and Kenneth Rockwood and Renuka Visvanathan",

note = "Funding Information: We would like to thank the Resthaven Inc. management team, research nurses, facility staff, and participants for their valuable support and participation. The initial data collection was supported by the Alzheimer's Australia Dementia Research Foundation via the Resthaven Inc. Dementia Research Award, with additional funding provided by Resthaven Inc. Conflict of Interest: TE and LR are employees of Resthaven Inc., and RV is a member of the board. Author Contributions: OT, SJB, RV: study concept, analyses, writing first draft. JSB, ET, RV, TE, LR: design and oversight of data collection. ET: data analyses. JM, KR: study concept and initial design. All authors: revisions, approval of version submitted for publication. Sponsor's Role: Staff of Resthaven Inc. contributed to the development of the data collection methodology. It was the solely the decision of the authors to submit the manuscript for publication. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2016, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation {\textcopyright} 2016, The American Geriatrics Society",

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doi = "10.1111/jgs.14490",

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AU - Theou, Olga

AU - Tan, Edwin C.K.

AU - Bell, J. Simon

AU - Emery, Tina

AU - Robson, Leonie

AU - Morley, John E.

AU - Rockwood, Kenneth

AU - Visvanathan, Renuka

N1 - Funding Information: We would like to thank the Resthaven Inc. management team, research nurses, facility staff, and participants for their valuable support and participation. The initial data collection was supported by the Alzheimer's Australia Dementia Research Foundation via the Resthaven Inc. Dementia Research Award, with additional funding provided by Resthaven Inc. Conflict of Interest: TE and LR are employees of Resthaven Inc., and RV is a member of the board. Author Contributions: OT, SJB, RV: study concept, analyses, writing first draft. JSB, ET, RV, TE, LR: design and oversight of data collection. ET: data analyses. JM, KR: study concept and initial design. All authors: revisions, approval of version submitted for publication. Sponsor's Role: Staff of Resthaven Inc. contributed to the development of the data collection methodology. It was the solely the decision of the authors to submit the manuscript for publication. Publisher Copyright: © 2016, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2016, The American Geriatrics Society

PY - 2016/11/1

Y1 - 2016/11/1

N2 - Objectives: To compare the FRAIL-NH scale with the Frailty Index in assessing frailty in residential aged care facilities. Design: Cross-sectional. Setting: Six Australian residential aged care facilities. Participants: Individuals aged 65 and older (N = 383, mean aged 87.5 ± 6.2, 77.5% female). Measurements: Frailty was assessed using the 66-item Frailty Index and the FRAIL-NH scale. Other measures examined were dementia diagnosis, level of care, resident satisfaction with care, nurse-reported resident quality of life, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and professional caregiver burden. Results: The FRAIL-NH scale was significantly associated with the Frailty Index (correlation coefficient = 0.81, P <.001). Based on the Frailty Index, 60.8% of participants were categorized as frail and 24.4% as most frail. Based on the FRAIL-NH, 37.5% of participants were classified as frail and 35.9% as most frail. Women were assessed as being frailer than men using both tools (P =.006 for FI; P =.03 for FRAIL-NH). Frailty Index levels were higher in participants aged 95 and older (0.39 ± 0.13) than in those aged younger than 85 (0.33 ± 0.13; P =.008) and in participants born outside Australia (0.38 ± 0.13) than in those born in Australia (0.34 ± 0.13; P =.01). Both frailty tools were associated with most characteristics that would indicate higher care needs, with the Frailty Index having stronger associations with all of these measures. Conclusion: The FRAIL-NH scale is a simple and practical method to screen for frailty in residential aged care facilities.

AB - Objectives: To compare the FRAIL-NH scale with the Frailty Index in assessing frailty in residential aged care facilities. Design: Cross-sectional. Setting: Six Australian residential aged care facilities. Participants: Individuals aged 65 and older (N = 383, mean aged 87.5 ± 6.2, 77.5% female). Measurements: Frailty was assessed using the 66-item Frailty Index and the FRAIL-NH scale. Other measures examined were dementia diagnosis, level of care, resident satisfaction with care, nurse-reported resident quality of life, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and professional caregiver burden. Results: The FRAIL-NH scale was significantly associated with the Frailty Index (correlation coefficient = 0.81, P <.001). Based on the Frailty Index, 60.8% of participants were categorized as frail and 24.4% as most frail. Based on the FRAIL-NH, 37.5% of participants were classified as frail and 35.9% as most frail. Women were assessed as being frailer than men using both tools (P =.006 for FI; P =.03 for FRAIL-NH). Frailty Index levels were higher in participants aged 95 and older (0.39 ± 0.13) than in those aged younger than 85 (0.33 ± 0.13; P =.008) and in participants born outside Australia (0.38 ± 0.13) than in those born in Australia (0.34 ± 0.13; P =.01). Both frailty tools were associated with most characteristics that would indicate higher care needs, with the Frailty Index having stronger associations with all of these measures. Conclusion: The FRAIL-NH scale is a simple and practical method to screen for frailty in residential aged care facilities.

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Frailty Levels in Residential Aged Care Facilities Measured Using the Frailty Index and FRAIL-NH Scale

Abstract

Bibliographical note

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

PubMed: MeSH publication types

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