Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA): Physical domain

Frailty status is essential in CGA as it identifies individuals at increased risk of adverse outcomes like falls, hospitalisation, disability, and mortality.

A detailed account of a person’s past medical and surgical history is an essential component of any physical health assessment.

Many older adults with frailty are prescribed multiple medicines for various health conditions, and careful management of this polypharmacy is crucial to ensure medicines are appropriate and safe.

Falls are a vital component of CGA, as they are common in older adults and strongly linked with increased morbidity, mortality, and loss of independence.

Pain should be considered in all patients as part of the process of CGA, and there are many tools available to facilitate the assessment of pain in individuals who may struggle to report it.

Nutrition and hydration are essential elements of CGA as they impact on all body systems.

Sensory impairment is an important but often overlooked element of CGA. 

Issues with bladder and bowel function are common as we age, although it is important to remember they are not a ‘normal’ and inevitable part of ageing.

The effects of normal ageing have a detrimental effect on the integrity and function of skin, which can be further exacerbated by the presence of other comorbidities and frailty.