FRAIL Scale for Frailty Assessment

A simple 5-item screening questionnaire for frailty that assesses Fatigue, Resistance, Ambulation, Illness, and Loss of weight. Score 0-5.

Warnings:
  • FRAIL scale is a screening tool, not a comprehensive frailty assessment
  • Validated primarily in community-dwelling older adults and African American populations
  • Pre-frail status predicts future ADL difficulties, functional decline, and mortality
  • Frail status predicts ADL/IADL difficulties, falls, hospitalization, and mortality
  • Should be followed by comprehensive geriatric assessment if score >=1
  • Weight loss should be unintentional; intentional dieting should not count
Note: The FRAIL scale was developed by Morley et al. It is a simple, rapid screening tool. Each component is scored 0 or 1. Total 0 = robust, 1-2 = pre-frail, 3-5 = frail.
How much of the time during the past 4 weeks did you feel tired?
By yourself and not using aids, do you have difficulty walking up 10 steps without resting?
By yourself and not using aids, do you have difficulty walking several hundred yards?
Illnesses include: hypertension, diabetes, cancer, chronic lung disease, heart attack, CHF, angina, asthma, arthritis, stroke, kidney disease
Unintentional weight loss >5% of body weight in the past 12 months

References