Perspectives of older adults, caregivers, and healthcare providers on frailty screening: a qualitative study

Abstract

Abstract Background Screening is an important component of understanding and managing frailty. This study examined older adults’, caregivers’ and healthcare providers’ perspectives on frailty and frailty screening. Methods Fourteen older adults and caregivers and 14 healthcare providers completed individual or focus group interviews. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using line-by-line emergent coding techniques and inductive thematic analysis. Results The interviews yielded several themes with associated subthemes: definitions and conceptualizations of frailty, perceptions of “frail”, factors contributing to frailty (physical,, cognitive, social, pharmaceutical, nutritional), and frailty screening (current practices, tools in use, limitations, recommendations). Conclusion Older adults, caregivers and healthcare providers have similar perspectives regarding frailty; both identified frailty as multi-dimensional and dynamic. Healthcare providers need clear “next steps” to provide meaning to frailty screening practices, which may improve use of frailty-screening tools.

Keywords

• Older adults
• Frailty
• Frailty screening