Frailty is the clinical picture in older age in which bodily reserve approaches collapse. The classic definition by Fried and colleagues looks for five items: unintentional weight loss, exhaustion, reduced grip strength, slowed walking, and reduced daily activity.
| Fried score | Meaning | Programme stage |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Robust | A (if no other thresholds) |
| 1–2 | Prefrail — early warning | B |
| ≥ 3 | Frail | E |
Intrinsic capacity shows which functional domain has declined. Frailty shows how far reserve has been exhausted. One does not replace the other.
Why is an early warning stage B?
The frailty definition requires at least three items. If one or two items are positive, the picture is not yet frailty; it is called prefrail. The programme does not wait and places the person at stage B. Mild decline in only one of the five ICOPE domains (domain score 1) is also B — even if the vitality domain is zero.
If help is needed with activities of daily living (ADL: activities of daily living), the stage is F. Rules are summarised on the programme page; application is on the assessment form.
What happens at stage B?
The emphasis is lifestyle support, follow-up by the relevant physician, and repeating the same screen in six to twelve months. A prefrail finding is not converted directly into a product recommendation.
Framework: longevity. Screening foundation: ICOPE and intrinsic capacity.