Blog Posts: Frailty and functional decline

Looking to reduce frailty? Learn what the evidence says about non-drug strategies.

From injury to death, falls are a major concern for older adults. Recent research looks at how strengthening the muscles in our feet and ankles can help to reduce the risk of falls.

In Canada 1.1 million older adults use assistive technology to compensate for physical or cognitive limitations. However, despite the potential benefits of these technologies, some older adults remain reluctant to use them. What can explain this reluctance?

Frail older adults have significant care needs, and often rely heavily on caregivers to support them. Despite their crucial role, support for caregivers is often lacking or inconsistently available.

Advance care planning and having discussions about end-of-life care with family members and healthcare providers can have positive impacts for everyone involved.

As you get older, getting from one place to another can be a challenge. To put you on the road to better health, invest in a sturdy pair of shoes and use the power of your own two feet to get you to where you need to be.

Many older adults have a fear of falling. Cognitive behavioural therapy may help people overcome this fear by reducing negative thoughts about falls and shifting their focus to what they can do to curb their falls risk.

For seniors still living at home, falls are a concern. Fortunately, exercise alone or in combination with other fall prevention strategies can help keep one’s feet firmly planted on the ground.

Feeling off-balance? Stand up to falls with exercise. Exercise combined with other fall prevention strategies is a promising way to lower the rate of falls in older adults living in long-term care.

Walking speed reveals a lot about your overall health and walking ability changes with age. Research shows that music can help!

Breaking up may be hard to do, but breaking a bone is easy – especially as we age. Get tips on how to protect yourself.

Many older adults experience a fall as they get older. But it doesn’t have to be that way! Here are four evidence-based tips to lower your falls risk and promote healthy aging.

Physical exercise can help improve some conditions associated with aging and frailty, such as improving walking speed.

Fall prevention exercise programs, in a group or home setting, can help prevent falls. Exercises to improve balance are the most effective in preventing falls.

Frailty represents a form of vulnerability or weakness in the older person and is different from simply growing old. It is important even though there is no agreement on the signs for frailty.