Prevention of frailty and dependency in older adults

Aging is associated with the onset of frailty and chronic diseases, leading to physical and cognitive functional decline, reduced autonomy and, eventually, physical dependency. Persons aged 65 years or more should start to be screened in order to detect and prevent frailty, thus allowing the community to anticipate the consequences of aging rather than simply enduring them. According to the Trillard report commissioned by the French President, this could encourage economic growth and save up to 10 billion Euros per year. Fragile and pre-fragile elderly persons are not taken into account by our current healthcare system: it is only once they become truly dependent that they start to receive costly geriatric care. Major medical advances could result from early detection of frailty and age-related diseases. In addition, development of specific medical, social and behavioural services could create new jobs and lead to greater economic efficiency. Our healthcare system will have to adapt rapidly to the growth in the elderly population. A pilot study conducted by the Toulouse Gerontopole demonstrates the importance of screening, assessment and intervention for frail and pre-frail populations, who have previously been completely neglected by the French healthcare system.