Assessing frailty severity: The Clinical Frailty Scale
| Frailty severity rating | Description | Dementia severity |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Very fit | Robust, active, energetic, and motivated; exercise regularly; “fittest for their age” | |
| 2. Well | No active disease symptoms; less fit than category 1;often exercise or are very active occasionally (eg, seasonally) | |
| 3. Managing well | Medical problems are well controlled; not regularly active beyond routine walking | |
| 4. Vulnerable | Not dependent on others for daily help, but symptoms often limit activities (eg, “slowed up,” tired during the day) | |
| 5. Mildly frail | Need help in high-order instrumental activities of daily living (finances, transportation, heavy housework, medications) with progressive impairment in shopping, meal preparation, and housework. | Mild dementia |
| 6. Moderately frail | Need help with all outside activities, keeping house and may have problems with stairs Basic activity of daily living impairment—may need help with bathing, dressing (cuing, standing by) | Moderate dementia |
| 7. Severely frail | Completely dependent for personal care (physical or cognitive impairments); stable and not at high risk of dying within about 6 months | Severe dementia |
| 8. Very severely frail | Completely dependent, approaching the end of life; difficulty recovering from a minor illness | Severe advanced dementia |
| 9. Terminally ill | Approaching the end of life; life expectancy < 6 months who are not otherwise evidently frail | Severe end-stage dementia |
Data from reference 39