Prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is increasing worldwide principally among the elderly population many of whom will eventually need renal replacement therapy. The relationship between frailty and CKD in the elderly population has been recognized. However, studies concentrating on frailty in pre-dialysis patients are limited. CKD predisposes to frailty through many potential mechanisms; anemia, bone mineral disease, oxidative stress, and malnutrition which in turn lead to progression of CKD culminating in a vicious cycle. Identifying potential causes of frailty in elderly pre-dialysis patients and recognizing individuals at risk should be an area of focus to nephrologists and researchers. Modalities that may improve frailty in elderly pre-dialysis patients such as treatment of anemia and bone mineral disease may improve outcome. However, this has not been established and further research is needed. The aim of this review is to address the importance of recognizing frailty in elderly pre-dialysis patients using simple tools and describing its implications on clinical outcome.