More seniors aged 65 and over will receive help fighting frailty

SINGAPORE – A program to prevent the onset of frailty in the elderly aged 65 and above, reverse its progression and even improve the long-term health outcomes of the elderly will be expanded to all National Health Group (NHG) polyclinics in the central region by its end. The group announced 2025 on October 24.

The program focuses on three main parts: intervention for frailty, referral to community exercise programs, and reduction or discontinuation of medication.

In the Frailty Program pilot program launched in 2022, more than 7,100 patients were screened in NHG polyclinics and 3,600 of them received interventions to prevent the onset of frailty or reverse the process.

Dr. is deputy director of clinical services at NHG outpatient clinics and leader of the group’s Frailty Programme. David Ng said that thanks to the joint efforts of the multidisciplinary team of physicians, care coordinators and clinical pharmacists, NHG outpatient clinics successfully improved the frailty outcomes of 3,600 patients. .

Seen at outpatient clinics in Toa Payoh, Hougang and Ang Mo Kio, these patients appeared to be either in good condition or with very mild frailty.

“The good news was that at 12-month follow-up after the intervention programmes, almost half (48 per cent) of patients in good condition and nearly three in 10 (31 per cent) of patients with mild frailty had improved hands with grip strength of 1 kg or more,” he added. Dr. Ng.

Patients who are said to be doing well are those whose medical problems are under control but who are often not regularly active beyond routine walking. Those with mild frailty experience limitations in their activities, such as walking slower than normal, experiencing weight loss, and becoming more tired than normal.

Dr Ng said: “Both groups consist of independent individuals who are not physically active or show early signs of frailty, such as slow walking. As they age, their mobility decreases and their ability to perform daily activities is significantly affected.”

He said hand grip strength is a measure relevant to the aging population.

“It is useful in small clinical areas where gait is not suitable as a measurement. Handgrip strength has also helped initiate a discussion on intervention in frailty,” Dr Ng added.

Teams at three outpatient clinics used patients’ hand grip strength to assess muscle function and overall physical capacity.

Frailty is a medical condition in which function and health decline in older individuals. Factors such as inactivity, malnutrition, social isolation and polypharmacy may contribute to frailty.

Frailty among older people in society Now a significant growth is expected from 5 percent to 6 percent to 27 percent As Singapore’s population ages in 2030.

According to the 2023 National Frailty Strategy Policy Report, the prevalence of frailty in Singapore is also likely to increase as the number of seniors aged 65 and above rises from 510,000 in 2017 to over 900,000 in 2030.

Local surveys have found that at least 30 percent of the elderly population here is considered pre-frail (between able-bodied and frail), while 5 percent are frail. Frailty is more common in women.

“Patients want to stay healthy, so we want to encourage them to do so through activities and diets. Above all, we want to educate seniors about food myths such as red meat and hypertension… We want to tell them that meat consumption can help them build muscle,” said Dr. Ng.