Older Adults' Perceptions of Frailty Language: A Scoping Review. 2022

Pamela Durepos, and Mariko Sakamoto, and Kyla Alsbury, and Patricia Hewston, and Julia Borges, and Alyson Takaoka
Canadian Frailty Network Interdisciplinary Fellowship Program, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.

There is growing interest in conceptualizing and diagnosing frailty. Less is understood, however, about older adults' perceptions of the term "frail", and the implications of being classified as "frail". The purpose of this scoping review was to map the breadth of primary studies; and describe the meaning, perceptions, and perceived implications of frailty language amongst community-dwelling older adults. Eight studies were included in the review and three core themes were identified: (1) understanding frailty as inevitable age-related decline in multiple domains, (2) perceiving frailty as a generalizing label, and (3) perceiving impacts of language on health and health care utilization. Clinical practice recommendations for health care professionals working with individuals with frailty include: (1) maintaining a holistic view of frailty that extends beyond physical function to include psychosocial and environmental constructs, (2) using person-first language, and (3) using a strengths-based approach to discuss aspects of frailty.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007802 Language A verbal or nonverbal means of communicating ideas or feelings. Dialect,Dialects,Languages
D006282 Health Personnel Men and women working in the provision of health services, whether as individual practitioners or employees of health institutions and programs, whether or not professionally trained, and whether or not subject to public regulation. (From A Discursive Dictionary of Health Care, 1976) Health Care Professionals,Health Care Providers,Healthcare Providers,Healthcare Workers,Health Care Professional,Health Care Provider,Healthcare Provider,Healthcare Worker,Personnel, Health,Professional, Health Care,Provider, Health Care,Provider, Healthcare
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000073496 Frailty A state of increased vulnerability to stressors, following declines in function and reserves across multiple physiologic systems, characterized by MUSCLE WEAKNESS; FATIGUE; slowed motor performance; low physical activity; and unintentional weight loss. Debility,Frailness,Frailty Syndrome,Debilities,Frailties
D000368 Aged A person 65 years of age or older. For a person older than 79 years, AGED, 80 AND OVER is available. Elderly
D015577 Geriatric Assessment Evaluation of the level of physical, physiological, or mental functioning in the older population group. Assessment, Geriatric,Assessments, Geriatric,Geriatric Assessments
D016330 Frail Elderly Older adults or aged individuals who are lacking in general strength and are unusually susceptible to disease or to other infirmity. Elderly, Frail,Frail Older Adults,Functionally-Impaired Elderly,Frail Elders,Adult, Frail Older,Adults, Frail Older,Elder, Frail,Elderly, Functionally-Impaired,Elders, Frail,Frail Elder,Frail Older Adult,Functionally Impaired Elderly,Older Adult, Frail,Older Adults, Frail
D057187 Independent Living A housing and community arrangement that maximizes independence and self-determination. Aging in Place,Community Dwelling,Dwelling, Community,Dwellings, Community,Living, Independent

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