Twelve downloadable presentations given at the Third National Frailty Conference in 2017.

The BGS Frailty and Urgent Care Meeting 2019 was held on 15 February 2019 in London.

These articles have been selected by the Editor of Age and Ageing for inclusion in this special collection of the Journal's best articles on falls.

This collection shows how far frailty has come, not just an abstract concept, but a condition with an established and important place in the healthcare of older people.

As frailty progresses, individuals become more susceptible to developing conditions known as frailty syndromes, which may include multiple falls, acute confusion/delirium, sudden loss of mobility and incontinence.

Ten per cent of patients admitted to hospital as an emergency stay more than two weeks, using 55 per cent of all hospital bed days, and 80 per cent of that group are aged over 65 years. The average age of a hospital inpatient is over 80. 

Vulnerable older people deserve to be treated with dignity, respect, humanity and compassion. The BGS promoted standards covering five key areas of caregiving, accompanied by a downloadable poster and flyer.

Once you've identified that an older person has frailty, what steps you can take to undertake a holistic review, or Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment, in order to manage frailty. And can frailty be reversed?

What is frailty and why should you look for it in the older patient?  We outline the causes and possible ways to prevent frailty, as well as asking if there is any value in screening for frailty on a population or practice-wide basis.

Fit for Frailty Part 1

Ian Philp of the South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust examines a model of integrated car which has seen reduced admissions of older people for acute hospital care and a significant fall in deaths of older people in hospital.

Dr Eileen Burns looks at how Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment, better communication and palliative care principles can improve the quality of end of life care for older people, and asks: what constitutes a good death?

Older patients frequently have dysphagia resulting from acute or chronic illnesses.  Dysphagia management requires a collaborative approach because of the complexities of older patients' needs, and geriatricians have an important role to play in overseeing this condition.

Useful information to help you set up a frailty service, with examples of best practice, service development, and business cases.

Reablement, rehabilitation and recovery should be everyone's business. This issue introduces a new report from the BGS and includes some examples from the multidisciplinary team.  This content is limited to members only.

In this document, the BGS sets out five principles that should underpin front door frailty services, as well as tips on establishing services from those who have been through the process. 

This chapter offers conclusions drawn from the evidence, examples and recommendations set out in the blueprint document, plus references. 

This section of our blueprint describes the key touchpoints of care and support for older people across the system, from prevention through to end of life care. It describes the evidence-based approaches and interventions that are required to prevent and manage frailty across the continuum of care. 

This chapter sets out why commissioners must focus on older people and frailty when planning services. It also talks about the role of comprehensive geriatric assessment, the workforce challenge and how the needs of older people are at the heart of our blueprint.

This chapter introduces our Blueprint with a foreword by our President and Honorary Secretary/lead author, an executive summary and a roundup of our 12 recommendations.