Home environment and frailty in very old adults

Since older adults spend much time in their home environment (HE), frailty may occur as a consequence of a maladaptation to the HE. The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence of frailty in the very old population of North Rhine-Westphalia, and to examine the association between the HE and the frailty levels of these individuals.

Data from a cross-sectional representative study were used, including data on 1577 community-dwelling individuals and nursing home residents aged ≥ 80 years. Objective and subjective HE aspects were included. Frailty was defined according to four criteria: exhaustion, unintentional weight loss, weakness, and low physical activity. Adjusted multinomial regression modelling was used to analyze the link between the HE and frailty levels.

Of the very old individuals, 24.3% were robust, 57.0% were prefrail, and 18.7% were frail. Adjusting for relevant sociodemographic and health characteristics, being not closely attached to the HE was linked with an increased probability of being prefrail and frail. An improvement of the residential area was associated with a decrease in odds of being frail. Living in communities with less than 50,000 and with 100,000-499,999 inhabitants decreased the odds of being frail.

Frailty prevalence is shown to be higher in the very old population than in the younger age groups in Germany. Early identification of frailty and tailored interventions focused on improving objective and subjective attributes of the HE are needed to reduce the risk of frailty.