Older Adults in the Emergency Department with Frailty

In the emergency department (ED), frailty represents the vulnerability of an individual because of their underlying health status. An older patient can be identified as frail by using a frailty index, the Clinical Frailty Scale, a frailty phenotype, or a screening measure such as the Identification of Seniors at Risk (ISAR). In the ED, the frail older person should have an interdisciplinary assessment, a thoughtful review of their medications, a screen for other geriatric syndromes, and a care plan that addresses the individual's needs, includes the patient's goals and preferences, and follows the patient beyond the ED.