Frailty describes how our bodies gradually lose their in-built reserves, leaving us vulnerable to dramatic, sudden changes that may be triggered by seemingly small events such as a minor infection or a change in medication or environment.
Frailty can also be influenced by a person’s wider determinants of health such as their day-to-day lifestyle and wellbeing. Therefore in Gloucestershire we undertake a partnership approach, working closely with partner organisations such as Age UK Gloucestershire, Healthwatch, the Carers Hub and community-based services such as Social Prescribers and Care Navigators.
In Gloucestershire there are currently 146,000 people aged 65 and over, with this number expected to rise. Currently 78,000 people in Gloucestershire have some degree of frailty. Frailty is more prevalent as we age although it can occur in younger people, in particular in those living with long term conditions or a learning disability. The good news is that for most people, just taking a few simple steps can build resilience, reduce the risks associated with frailty and help people live longer in good health.
Gloucestershire’s Frailty Strategy
Gloucestershire’s Frailty Strategy outlines a vision to support people to live healthier, happier and longer lives, in a place they call home. The strategy seeks to provide equitable access to information, care and support but also to reflect local need and build on local resources.
The Strategy was developed in 2021 following stakeholder workshops bringing together staff from across the statutory, voluntary and independent sectors. It is a five year Strategy running from 2022 – 2027. A full version of the Strategy can be viewed in the ‘Resources’ section further down this page. The below picture provides an overview of the Strategy and its four key pillars.
Supporting you
Working in partnership with our colleagues across health and social care, the independent and voluntary sectors, Gloucestershire has developed a number of initiatives to support our population. These include the following:
- Personalised care and support planning
- Frailty services – we have multi professional teams that work with the individual to support people at home. These include the South Cotswold Frailty Service, Complex Care at Home, Integrated Care Teams, the Frailty Assessment Service, Frailty Virtual Wards, Reablement Teams and the Carers Hub