Frailty assessment of older adults, first-time applicants of public home care service in Norway

Objective Early detection of frailty is essential to prevent or delay disability. The most appropriate screening tool for frailty among home-dwelling older adults is under debate. The present study estimates the prevalence of frailty among older adults, first-time applicants of public home care service in Norway, and investigates the appropriateness of gait speed and Short Physical Performance Battery as screening-tools for frailty. Design and setting We conducted a cross-sectional study of 116 older adults >65 years applying for public home care service for the first time. Frailty was assessed by an adapted version of the Fried Frailty Phenotype. The test accuracies of gait speed and Short Physical Performance Battery to detect frailty were calculated for a general population >70 years in Norway. Results 62.1% of the participants were frail, 29.3% were prefrail, and 8.6% were robust. Mean gait speed and Short Physical Performance Battery-scores were significantly lower in frail compared to prefrail individuals, and significantly lower in prefrail compared to robust individuals. The sensitivity and specificity of gait speed at a cut point of 0.8 m/s to detect physical frailty phenotype was 99% and 68%, respectively. Conclusions The high prevalence of frailty in the present study indicates that screening for frailty should be considered at an earlier time point than when older adults apply for public home care service for the first time. Gait speed may be an appropriate screening tool for frailty in a general population >70 years in Norway.