Frailty Index Calculator — FRAIL Scale
The FRAIL Scale is a validated five-item questionnaire that screens for frailty in older adults. Answer five yes/no questions — fatigue, difficulty climbing stairs, difficulty walking, multiple chronic illnesses, and weight loss — and the calculator categorises the result as Robust, Pre-frail, or Frail.
Fatigue
Resistance (climbing stairs)
Ambulation (walking)
Illnesses (≥ 5 chronic conditions)
Weight loss (> 5 % in past year)
Robust
- 1
Sum each criterion (Yes = 1, No = 0)
0 + 0 + 0 + 0 + 0 = 0Fatigue · Resistance · Ambulation · Illnesses · Weight loss. - 2
FRAIL score (out of 5)
0
How does this calculator work?
The FRAIL Scale scores five self-reported deficits (fatigue, stair climbing, walking, chronic illnesses, weight loss) from 0 to 5. Score 0 = Robust, 1–2 = Pre-frail, ≥3 = Frail. It is a validated, equipment-free screening tool — not a clinical diagnosis.
Formula
How this is calculated
Frailty is a clinical syndrome of decreased physiological reserve that increases vulnerability to adverse health outcomes. The FRAIL Scale (Morley et al., 2012) operationalises it with five items — Fatigue, Resistance (stair climbing), Ambulation (walking distance), Illnesses (chronic disease burden), and Loss of weight — each scored 0 or 1, giving a total from 0 to 5. A score of 0 indicates robustness; 1–2 indicates a pre-frail state where intervention can prevent decline; 3 or more defines frailty.
The FRAIL Scale has been validated against more resource-intensive instruments such as the Fried Phenotype (grip strength, gait speed) and the Rockwood Cumulative Deficit Index (which assesses 30–70 clinical deficits). Because the FRAIL Scale requires no equipment or laboratory values, it is suitable for rapid community screening. Studies show it predicts falls, hospitalisation, disability, and mortality in older adults.
This tool is for informational screening only. A score indicating frailty or pre-frailty should be followed by a comprehensive geriatric assessment by a qualified clinician, who may recommend exercise programmes, nutritional interventions, medication review, and management of specific chronic conditions.
Frequently asked questions
Frailty is a state of reduced physiological reserve that makes a person more vulnerable to stressors — illness, surgery, or even minor injuries. Frail individuals have higher risks of falls, hospitalisation, disability, and death. Early identification allows targeted interventions that can slow or reverse the process.
The Fried Phenotype defines frailty using objectively measured criteria (grip strength, walking speed, exhaustion, physical activity, unintentional weight loss) that require clinical measurement. The FRAIL Scale replaces the objective measures with self-reported equivalents for ease of use, at the cost of some precision.
Pre-frailty and mild frailty can often be reversed with structured resistance exercise, protein-rich nutrition, vitamin D supplementation, and management of contributing chronic conditions. Even in confirmed frailty, targeted interventions can slow progression and improve function.
Also known as
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. (2026). Frailty Index Calculator — FRAIL Scale [Online calculator]. TG we-Calculate. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/frailty-index-calculator
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. "Frailty Index Calculator — FRAIL Scale." TG we-Calculate. 2026. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/frailty-index-calculator.
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team, "Frailty Index Calculator — FRAIL Scale," TG we-Calculate, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://we-calculate.com/calculator/frailty-index-calculator
@misc{wecalculate_frailty_index_calculator, title = {Frailty Index Calculator — FRAIL Scale}, author = {{TG we-Calculate Editorial Team}}, howpublished = {\url{https://we-calculate.com/calculator/frailty-index-calculator}}, year = {2026}, note = {TG we-Calculate} }
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