Frailty in later life
Frailty is a word people dislike, and understandably so. But it refers to a very specific syndrome in later life: a reduction in the body's reserves, which means that a relatively small setback, a chest infection, a new tablet, a few days in bed, causes more upheaval than it once would, and recovery takes longer.
You may recognise it as slowing down, walking more carefully, tiring sooner, losing weight without meaning to. You may find that an illness knocks you for six in a way it never used to, or that a hospital stay left you struggling to resume your previous day-to-day activities.
It's vital to know that frailty is not fixed, and it is not simply what happens with age. It can be measured, and in many people it can be improved or reversed. Strength can be regained. Nutrition can be improved. Medications that are contributing can be found and changed. People who are recognised as frail and helped do better, both in day-to-day life and when something goes wrong.
How Professor Henderson can help
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A comprehensive assessment covering physical health, medications, mobility, nutrition, memory and mood, and how you are managing at home.
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Measuring where you are now, so that any change over time can be seen rather than guessed at.
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Looking for reversible contributors, including anaemia, thyroid problems, vitamin deficiency, pain, poor sleep and undertreated conditions.
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Practical advice on strength, activity and nutrition, which are the things that make the most difference and are most often left out.
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Reviewing medications, since some of what looks like frailty is the effect of treatment.
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Planning ahead: what to do when things go wrong, what would help you stay at home, and what your priorities are if difficult decisions arise.