Alejandra Araya, research associate at MICARE, and Carmen Lascano conducted this study in order to describe the influence of comorbidity and frailty on the quality of life of elderly women.
Bibliographical searches were conducted in the CINAHL and PubMed databases from January 2010 to November 2020. The keywords “frail elderly”, “comorbidity”, and “quality of life” were used. A total of 116 CINAHL articles and 80 PubMed articles were found, of which 37 that emphasize frailty and comorbidity as an impact on quality of life were selected.
Main findings:
Frailty is multidimensional and can be detected by a comprehensive geriatric assessment. Frailty affects the quality of life, so it is necessary to enhance such quality of life through prevention and timely treatment. The lower the comorbidity, the higher the quality of life. Frailty and comorbidity in elderly women are predictors associated with an increased risk of death.
The conclusion is that quality of life is influenced by comorbidity and frailty. Women aged 65 and over are a population in need of greater attention, care, health, and social resources, factors that are essential for a good quality of life at a reasonable cost.
