Samenvatting

Frailty, a complex phenomenon The population worldwide is ageing rapidly and with age an increase in co-morbidities and a decline in abilities is seen. Frailty is an often-used term to indicate a higher risk to adverse health outcomes. The often used definition of Fried et al 2001 is clinically driven and focusses on physical components and incapacity. Other factors, like cognitive decline and social factors, influence the degree of frailty. These factors have an effect on their own or interact with other factors. On the other hand looking at frailty is also looking at decline and incapacity emphasizing the negative side of Ageing. A focus on intrinsic capacity and resilience is another avenue in research.