Frailty Syndrome is a common condition in older people and it can be a precursor of disability and falls. The aims of this study were to evaluate the level of frailty in older adults of a senior citizen center and the relation between frailty, disability and of falls. The sample was composed by 64 older adults, evaluated according to the Phenotype of Frailty, composed by five criteria: unintentional loss of weight, self-reported exhaustion, weakness, low physical activity and slow walking speed. The older adult would be considered frail if three or more criteria were present, pre-frail if one or two were present and not frail if none of these were present. The Instrumental Activities of Daily Life (IADL) Scale, the Basic Activities of Daily Life (ADL) Scale, number of falls and fear of falling were used as well. The Mann-Whitney U test and Spearman coeficient were used (α=0.05). Among older adults, 21 were considered not frail, 42 pre-frail and only one frail. Pre-frail older adults presented greater need of assistance in ADL (p=0.046) and IADL (p=0.011) and higher ocurrence of falls (p=0.004) and fear of falling (p=0.007). Weak association between these variables and the frailty level was found. The results show the importance of preventive interventions for pre-frail older adults and suggest that frailty and disability are distint entities in older adults that participate of a senior citizen center.
Frail Elderly
