More than one in five Australians over 65 are living with frailty, a condition that raises the risk of falls, hospitalisation and a serious loss of independence. For the first time, the country now has a national framework to help prevent it – and catch it earlier when it does occur.
University of Queensland researchers have developed the Australian Consensus Statements on frailty, a set of 19 practical recommendations designed to guide healthcare professionals and the public in preventing and managing the condition.
The framework is the first of its kind in Australia and was developed through consultation with 77 healthcare experts and six older Australians with lived experience of frailty, along with their caregivers.
Frailty is not simply getting older. It is a clinical condition where a person’s physical and cognitive function declines to the point where their body struggles to recover from everyday stresses – an illness, an injury, or even a busy week.
It can lead to falls, repeated hospital admissions, worsening mobility, and in serious cases, death. And while it is more common with age, researchers stress it is not inevitable.
Dr Sakshi Chopra, of UQ’s Frazer Institute, said the framework fills a critical gap in Australian healthcare.
“We have developed 19 consensus statements to guide frailty prevention and management and enhance quality of life for adults over 65 years,” Dr Chopra said.
“Our aim is to reduce long-term complications, take pressure off the health system and offer practical recommendations to support healthcare professionals in delivering consistent and proactive care.”
The framework is built around six key areas: health promotion and screening, nutrition, exercise, social activities, medication management, and care for those living with severe frailty.
Importantly, the recommendations are tailored to different stages – guiding clinicians on how to support people who are mildly frail differently from those with moderate or severe frailty. Dr Chopra said this level of detail is a genuine first.
“We have further categorised the pillars to support the management of mild, moderate and severe frailty – something that has not been attempted before,” she said.
Practical recommendations for clinicians include personalised health counselling, supporting adequate protein intake, structured exercise programs, meaningful social engagement and tailored care plans.
Professor Ruth Hubbard, a geriatrician and director of UQ’s Australian Frailty Network, said the framework reflects how much older Australians contribute to society – and how much is at stake when frailty goes unmanaged.
“In order to optimise the health and quality of life of older people, it is important for frailty to be prevented and, if it does occur, for it to be managed appropriately,” Professor Hubbard said.
Dr Chopra said the approach is relevant well beyond retirement age.
“We want everyone to take a lifelong approach to frailty prevention, and these pillars can be applied to people of all ages,” she said.
The framework was commissioned by the Queensland Health Reform Office in partnership with the Australian Frailty Network, and the research has been published in the Medical Journal of Australia.