Geriatric score when your 65

The Frailty index should be routinely collected in GP practices, as it’s part of the GP contract requirements. People who are relatively fit won’t notice this, but for moderately frail and higher levels, the risk assessment tool should be triggered to ensure that they are supported.

I am 80 and spent 45 minutes this afternoon digging up potatoes in an extensive veg garden. Later on I will do my daily 20 minutes of tai Chi.

I have been looking through the extensive paper work associated with 2 possible minor strokes I had earlier this year. The results of the extensive cognitive tests I did are listed, as well as MRI and CT scans. I am described as 'self-caring in my own home and independently mobile', but there is no mention anywhere of a frailty score.

i suspect this score is more talked about than used and only given if there is a specific requirement for it.

I am 72 and Level 1 if you count vigorous walking and hill-climbing daily. The same applies to my 69 year old friend.
When on holiday with a 55 year old friend I ran up stairs quicker than her. I would deeply resent being put into any category for my age.

I've never heard of this before, wonder want I have been put down as, I wasn't asked anything when I had to have an op a few years back for a broken wrist.

Quotelizzypopbottle I would say you're the same as me cat.1

QuoteElusivebutterfly Well I'm 68 and definitely category 1, I'm pleased to say.

Reading this information here has given me a bit of a fright. I am nearly 73 and had Covid six weeks ago.For the first time I felt truly old. My recovery has been slow and I hate the idea of someone giving me marks out of ten on my prospects.

I have a small dog and walk him every day because I have to. We are nearly back to normal walks ie I'm not gasping for air as much. Those walks are my way of measuring my fitness. I thank heavens for him.

Deanswaydolly No, it is not saying over 65 is frail. The definition of '1' on the list is someone hale and hearty who could be running marathons. As one poster said, many younger people would be classified well up the list for frailty.

It might be better to see this F index as measuring Fitness rather than Frailty. Anyone in the first three categories should be capable of holding down a job, depending on what it is.

jess20 I can see no reason why you should have to declare this on an insurance form. It is not a pre existing condition and, as I have already said groups 1 - 3 would describe the majority of the adult population of all ages. If you were beyond 3 then you would be likely to have other medical conditions thaat were the cause of your higher score and these are what you would declare.

Just read that report, Casdon - cuing? Do they mean queuing?

I’m 67 and had pneumonia on the spring and I was assessed as very fit. I felt proud to be honest as I am pretty fit for my age.

Level 6 at 61, I'm screwed ....

You wait until you want to get funding for care through the Continuing Healthcare people. Those frailty scores will become very important particularly when Care Homes, who help do the assessment, scale things very differently because they don't want you to have the funding!
You can be considered severely frail at the time of illness to a much better score later down the line. It is usually assessed every time you enter hospital so hardly worth getting worried about.
Also, whilst you might not feel frail, the assessor will make a judgement about this based on what they observe and if they watch you need support in order to walk or other ailments which might lead you to have a medical need, you will score lower.
All in all, it is nothing to worry about and you will get a better service from your GP if they consider you vulnerable!

Good grief! I'm a practising 5th dan black belt in Shotokan karate, training four times a week for 90 minutes, so six hours total. I lead the warm up exercises for all the classes and teach all the junior classes. I also teach three hours of private lessons every week. I walk briskly when I'm out and about and can put on a turn of speed if necessary. I carry heavy shopping and lift the 12kg bags of dog food to empty into the hopper. I cut my grass throughout the spring and summer. In fact, I cut it yesterday because of the predicted storm and I prune all the bushes.

I don't know what my frailty score is but I doubt if it's no.1 or anywhere near it, simply because I'm 71... However, I don't care! 😂

I’ve never heard of a frailty or geriatric score. Is it important to know it?

I’m on a 4 it was an HCA who did it so not medically trained I’m assuming it’s because I broke my ankle two years ago

We'll, couldn't find frailty score but did find I had a hospital appointment coming up that I wasn't aware of and that I had quite serious surgery for something and that I wasn't fully aware of the diagnosis!!!

When was this first brought in? My mother had a long period in hospital before her death in 2017. She would have been classified as 7, but she had excellent care and treatment and was scheduled for discharge with full care support when she died quite suddenly. I was told by medical staff that if she had not signed a DNR they would have resuscitated her and put her on life support. So does the scale really influence treatment?

So over 65 is frail....but we cannot claim out state pension as we are fit enough to work full time!!

I hadn't heard of this before! If I can access it presumably I need to declare it when I buy travel insurance or my policy may be invalidated should I make a claim on medical grounds when away. I would rather object to being scored behind my back without being informed!

I have found my score on my electronic record. It was recorded when I had my health check when I changed GPs.

yggdrasil

"If you have internet or NHS app access to your medical history/results"

Where do you find that?

You have to get login and ID codes from your surgery before you can link the app to your GP records.

"If you have internet or NHS app access to your medical history/results"

Where do you find that?

Sorry, I should have said the Frailty scale is a risk stratification, not a diagnostic tool.

shysal

kittylester

LucyAnna thank you. But where would I find out what my score has been assessed as?

When I left hospital, I would have been classed as very frail. Not now.

If you have internet or NHS app access to your medical history/results you will find your score. I accidentally discovered mine when checking blood test results, otherwise I wouldn't have known about it. I certainly wasn't assessed.

kittylester It’s probably more relevant to access your GP records to see what your pre-operative and current frailty score is if you want to confirm your status because everybody is more frail post-operatively than in their normal state of health,. A post op score wouldn’t really tell you anything, it changes as you recover.

kittylester

LucyAnna thank you. But where would I find out what my score has been assessed as?

When I left hospital, I would have been classed as very frail. Not now.

If you have internet or NHS app access to your medical history/results you will find your score. I accidentally discovered mine when checking blood test results, otherwise I wouldn't have known about it. I certainly wasn't assessed.