Frailty and falls in older adults: risk assessment and management for community nurses

Frailty and falls are highly prevalent among community-dwelling older adults and are linked through a bidirectional relationship that increases the risk of injury, hospitalisation, functional decline and mortality. Community nurses play a central role in early identification and prevention. This article examines the relationship between frailty and falls, and outlines practical approaches to risk assessment and management in community nursing practice. The authors present a clinically focused synthesis of contemporary evidence and national guidance relating to frailty and falls in community-dwelling older adults. The evidence indicates that frailty is a modifiable and independent risk factor for falls and adverse outcomes. Integrating frailty assessment within multifactorial falls risk assessment, including assessment of orthostatic hypotension and medication-related risk, enables more targeted and person-centred interventions. Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment offers a practical framework for addressing shared risk factors. Addressing frailty should be regarded as a core strategy for effective falls prevention in community-dwelling older adults.