Prevalence of frailty and mobility disability in older people living in retirement villages

Objective: To determine the prevalence rates of frail, prefrail, robust and mobility disabled older adults living in retirement villages within regional Victoria, Australia. Methods: This cross-sectional, observational study invited residents of retirement villages to complete the self-report questionnaires Fried Frailty Phenotype and Frail Non-Disabled screening tool to classify respondents as frail, prefrail, robust and/or mobility disabled. Results: From 212 respondents, prevalence rates of frail and prefrail status were 34% and 35%, respectively. A fifth (20%) of residents were mobility disabled. The prevalence of residents classified as frail or prefrail (ie, not robust) was higher in women (74%) than in men (58%). Classification as not robust increased with increasing age. Conclusions: This study is the first to estimate prevalence rates of frailty and mobility disability in retirement village residents in regional Australia. Findings from this study have potential to inform the development of facilities and programs to support people living in this setting.<p></p>