RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Frailty for neurologists: a practical guide
JF Practical Neurology
JO Pract Neurol
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
SP 468
OP 474
DO 10.1136/practneurol-2021-003047
VO 21
IS 6
A1 Lucy Pollock
A1 Matthew Smith
YR 2021
UL http://pn.bmj.com/content/21/6/468.abstract
AB Neurologists increasingly care for people with significant frailty in both clinic and ward settings. Such care demands a balanced approach to investigation, diagnosis and treatment, as well-intentioned actions can produce adverse effects. This article presents a practical approach to the identification and management of patients with frailty and neurological conditions. We address medicines optimisation, common causes of deterioration in those with frailty, communication, decisions about intensity of treatment, and shared decision-making including ethical aspects of withholding or withdrawing life-prolonging treatment, with a view to improving the experience both of people living with frailty and of the teams who care for them.