Decreasing mental frailty in at-risk elders.

Frailty may be used to describe those older adults who are in precarious balance between their abilities to maintain health and function and their deficits that threaten the balance. Frailty often is described in purely physical terms, omitting the mental and psychologic aspects. When the term is applied to the mental abilities of older adults, frailty is associated with memory vulnerability in the cognitive domain and depression in the psychologic domain. Compromised thinking, anxiety, and decreased confidence in memory are symptoms of mental frailty. This article examines the effects of aging on memory and the intertwining factors of depression and self-efficacy as treatable antecedents of mental frailty in older adults. The article also describes simple assessment techniques, explores memory improvement strategies, and considers nursing implications.