Journal des soins infirmiers et des soins

Revealing the Conceptual Definition of Frailty: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Yuxiao Xia, Ying Zhou, Hongjing Yu, Yun Gao, Joanne WY Chung and Thomas KS Wong

Aim: The aim of this study was to uncover the conceptual definition of frailty from content experts.

Methods and participants: This was a qualitative study with in-depth interviews. Informants were recruited by purposive sampling. Twenty-seven informants who had rich experience with elderly care were interviewed.

Results: Three domains emerged as the conceptual definition of frailty. The three domains were physical, mental, and social. With the decline in bodily function, some elderly’s daily needs have to be partially taken care of, or they may be substantially or even completely dependent. The physical domain was further divided into lung deficiency, blood deficiency, kidney deficiency, spleen deficiency, sarcopenia, osteoporosis, and joint pain. This was a reflection of elements in traditional Chinese medicine. The mental domain included emotion and mood. The social domain included both social support and social activities.

Conclusion: There were three domains in the conceptual definition of frailty, namely, physical, mental, and social. Cultural elements were reflected in the physical domain through the traditional Chinese medicine.