Frailty in later life: focus on assessment, life course and context

“When I am old, I would like to enjoy my old age. I would prefer do to this in my own house. However, I am also quite afraid of becoming frail and dependent on others.” In order to enable frail elderly people to live at home in a meaningful way for as long as possible, numerous studies are being conducted to facilitate “aging well in place” and “healthy aging”. Unfortunately, the effect of these interventions is often still disappointing. In this thesis, we address some shortcomings in the current research. We focus on the various frailty measurement scales that exist, the role of the life course of elderly people in relation to frailty and the context in which interventions for frail elderly people take place. Based on our research, we provide recommendations with which future interventions can potentially maximize their effectiveness and allow more people to enjoy their own home for a longer time.