Screening older adults in Singapore for frailty and early health decline

The goal of this intervention study is to screen and identify frailty and decline in intrinsic capacity (physical and mental capacities) in community-dwelling older adults in Singapore, and to evaluate whether early identification and targeted interventions can improve health outcomes and support healthy ageing. The main questions it aims to answer are:

• Can combined frailty and intrinsic capacity screening with targeted interventions prevent or reduce functional decline in older adults, as measured by changes in life space mobility?
• Will at least 80% of screened older adults adhere to recommended care pathways and interventions?
• Can this screening and intervention programme demonstrate sustainability through continued community participation and recruitment of new partner organizations beyond the initial implementation phase? The investigators will compare an intervention group (receiving immediate assessment and clinical referrals based on identified needs) to a wait-list control group (receiving the same interventions 12 months later) to see if early intervention leads to better health outcomes and quality of life.

Participants will:

• Attend 4 study visits over 2 years (at 6-monthly intervals in the first year, with final assessment at end of year 2), each lasting up to 2 hours.
• Undergo comprehensive screening assessments including mobility, cognition, mental health, hearing, vision, and nutritional status.
• Receive 2 follow-up phone calls at 3-month and 9-month intervals to monitor progress.
• If in the intervention group: receive personalized referrals for further care (which may include comprehensive geriatric assessment, primary care reviews, rehabilitation, or dietitian consultations) and guidance on using a mobile health monitoring application.
• If in the wait-list control group: receive the same interventions after their 3rd study visit (12 months later).