Ethical and Policy Aspects of Frailty

Societies are aging around the world, both in developed and less developed nations. Aging societies and the increasing number of people living with frailty pose policy and ethical challenges that need to be addressed proactively to enable healthy aging and best possible quality of life. Frailty health policy needs to be anchored in the social determinants of health and needs to address prevention, screening, and intervention/mitigation. Key to this approach is the recognition that frailty in not an inevitable aging process, is dynamic and frailty appropriate care pathways can improve outcomes. Given the increased vulnerability in individuals living with frailty the ethical principles of autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice need to be incorporated within the framework of any frailty health and social care policy. Doing so will maximize benefit and minimize harm from the identification of individuals as frail and frailty targeted resource delivery and evidence generation.