MEDizzy - You are assessing an 83 year old woman, who wishes to

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Ageing and disease

You are assessing an 83 year old woman, who wishes to undergo a hip replacement. She has not lost any weight in the last 12 months, her grip strength is 15 kg, and her 5 m walk time is 6 seconds. She admits to feeling tired a lot of the time, but still manages to do her own shopping, a little gardening, and goes out to play cards 3 evenings a week. Which description best fits her current functional status?

ExplanationShe has 2 of the 5 Fried Frailty criteria – low grip strength and self-reported exhaustion. Three criteria are required to diagnose frailty, but the presence of 1 or 2 criteria is sometimes categorised as ‘pre-frail’. You are not given any information to suggest that she has functional impairment – she continues to undertake activities of daily living. Similarly, you are not told anything that suggests the presence of a specific disability.