In recent decades, it has been observed an increase in scientific production on frailty in the elderly. Nevertheless, there is no consensus on the definition and use of that concept. Thus, in view of the need to clarify it, the objective of this study was to analyze the concept frailty in elderly people, identifying antecedents, attributes and consequences of the phenomenon. The study was guided by the conceptual model of analysis proposed by Walker and Avant, being performed by the examination of 31 papers relevant to the subject, published in Portuguese, English and Spanish from 2001 to 2009. The results confirmed that frailty in the elderly is a multidimensional and multifactorial event, characterized by the vulnerability to the biopsychosocial and environmental stressors along with changes in the muscle-skeletal system, in the motor function, body composition and resulting in functional impairments and their outcomes.
Frail elderly; Elderly; Aging