Quantification of the term frail as applied to the elderly client.

The term frail appears frequently in literature concerning the elderly. It is a label often applied yet infrequently defined. Qualitative research based on a ten-item questionnaire administered to five gerontological health care providers suggested a relationship between frailty and activities of daily living (ADLs)/index of activities of daily living (IADLs). A quantitative study was subsequently completed to ascertain whether this could be validated. A descriptive/correlational study was performed in community-based elderly people. Nurse practitioners classified 34 individuals as frail/not frail and statistical tests were conducted that compared the classification with their ADL/IADL scores. Findings supported a relationship between the classification of frail/not frail and the scores on the ADL/IADL scales. Implications for practice are discussed.