[Frailty in the elderly: a concept analysis].

Frailty is a term frequently used in geriatric medicine and gerontology. Even though this term appeared some three decades ago, the concept it embodies is still inconsistently defined and multi-dimensional. It is also relatively new to the nursing discipline. The author analyzed the concept of frailty using the concept analysis approach of Walker and Avant (2005). The result indicated that frailty must meet at least three of Fried et al. (2001)'s five attributes of frailty, i.e., shrinking, weakness, poor endurance, slowness, and low activity. Frailty in the elderly must further involve multiple factors, dependency, dynamic processes, and vulnerability. The author hopes this paper helps clinical nursing staffs better understand the concept of frailty in the elderly. A clearly defined definition for frailty in the elderly can help nurses apply this important concept in clinical practice and develop related nursing implications to improve elderly health.