Frailty and Falls

Frailty is a clinical condition that increases a person’s vulnerability to adverse health outcomes such as falls, hospitalisation, and loss of independence. It is more common in older adults but can affect people of any age with long-term conditions or disabilities.

Falls and Bone Health in Nottinghamshire Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (2015):

• 1 in 3 people aged 65+ and 1 in 2 aged 80+ fall each year
• £2.3 billion annual cost to the NHS nationally

The Clinical Frailty Scale is the agreed tool across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire to stratify risk. It provides a shared language between all areas of our health and social care system, helping everyone to support older people to live well. Further information on the Clinical Frailty Scale is available here.

Frailty is not an inevitable part of ageing and can be managed or even reversed with the right support. Early identification of frailty allows for interventions that slow progression, reduce hospital admissions, and improve quality of life.