National Frailty Education Programme
Frailty is a distinctive health state related to the ageing process, in which multiple body systems gradually lose their in-built reserve. “Frailty” is becoming a key concept in service development, planning and delivery of care for our ageing population.
The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) delivers a one day frailty education programme to healthcare professionals, which is run in conjunction with the National Clinical Programme for Older People (NCPOP), a partnership that allows research to inform practice in a unique way.
The aims of the programme are to provide healthcare professionals with an enhanced understanding of frailty and frailty assessments, thereby ensuring earlier recognition of frailty, improved healthcare management, and better health outcomes for frail older adults and to create a cadre of “Frailty Facilitators”.
The one day programme provides an overview of the theoretical models underpinning frailty and frailty assessment, incorporating key research findings from TILDA. The training programme has been awarded Category 1 approval by the Nursing & Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI). CPD credits for Health and Social Care Professionals awarded on hours of learning as per their governing organisation.
As a follow on from this programme these “Frailty Champions” aligned with the NCPOP, provide education around “Fundamentals of Frailty” to other front line health care professionals and staff in their local Community Health Organisations and Hospital Groups to advocate for and improve care delivered to frail older people around the country. This is an example of TILDA’s commitment to finding innovative ways of translating cutting edge longitudinal research into informing and influencing clinical practice and improving patient care.
For enquiries, please email tilda@tcd.ie