A Preliminary Study to Define the Concept of Skin Frailty in the Elderly

Abstract

The concept of frailty in the elderly is becoming widely recognized. Skin symptoms are not currently included in the criteria for frailty. However, some skin symptoms are frequently observed in the elderly. We considered the possibility of predicting frailty or its risk from skin symptoms by evaluating the presence and degree. We then created a questionnaire to evaluate skin conditions and conducted a preliminary study to confirm its validity. The skin condition of each patient was evaluated independently by dermatologists, internal physicians, and nurses. No major discrepancies were found among their reports, and the questionnaire form was regarded to be quite appropriate.