BACKGROUND

As the global population ages, frailty-marked by diminished physiological reserves and increased vulnerability, poses significant health risks such as falls, hospitalization, and mortality. Exercise therapy, enhancing muscle strength and balance, has shown promise in mitigating frailty's effects, while nursing interventions ensure tailored, comprehensive care. However, the combined impact of these interventions remains underexplored. This study investigates the clinical effectiveness of integrating active exercise with nursing interventions to manage frailty in elderly patients, aiming to improve their physical function and quality of life.

METHODS

This retrospective study analyzed 100 elderly patients (≥80 years) admitted to our hospital with mild to moderate frailty. Participants were randomly assigned to either a control group (n = 50), receiving a standard exercise program, or an experimental group (n = 50), receiving the same program with personalized interventions under nursing assistance. Assessments were conducted at baseline and at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months. Outcome measures included assessing functional mobility, physical dependence in activities of daily living (ADLs), balance, muscle strength, degree of frailty and patient satisfaction with the nursing care.

RESULTS

There were no significant differences in the baseline characteristics between the two groups ( ˃ 0.05). However, both groups exhibited significant improvements from baseline in functional mobility ( < 0.001), physical dependence in ADLs ( < 0.001), balance ( < 0.001), muscle strength ( < 0.001), and degree of frailty ( < 0.001). Importantly, from 3 months onward, the experimental group showed significantly greater improvements in all these parameters compared to the control group ( < 0.001 for each measure). Additionally, patient satisfaction was higher in the experimental group, with a satisfaction rate of 94.0% compared to 72.0% in the control group ( = 0.013).

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates that combining active exercise with nursing interventions significantly improves physical performance, independence, balance, muscle strength, and reduces frailty in elderly patients. Furthermore, the high levels of patient satisfaction underscore the effectiveness and favorable reception of this intervention. These findings suggest that the implemented interventions can be a valuable approach in improving the overall health and well-being of elderly patients with frailty.