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Calculate a deficit-accumulation frailty index (FI) from 12 geriatric vulnerability items: FI = deficits present ÷ 12 (Rockwood-style teaching). Bands: 0–2 lower, 3–4 moderate, 5+ higher. Not a full research FI (30–70+ deficits), not the Clinical Frailty Scale, and not preoperative clearance. More tools on our medical calculators hub.
Last updated: June 4, 2026
Moderate deficit burden (educational)
FI 0.25
3 / 12 deficits
Moderate deficit burden: a useful prompt for structured geriatric review, medication reconciliation, falls history, and advance care planning conversations in teaching scenarios.
Research frailty indices often use 30–70+ deficits across domains; this 12-item list is abbreviated for teaching. Do not label someone “frail” for legal or insurance purposes from a website.
No deficits selected
FI 0
0/12 · lower
Exhaustion, slow walk, 5+ meds
FI 0.25
3/12 · moderate
Exhaustion + weight loss only
FI 0.167
2/12 · lower
Seven deficits (teaching vignette)
FI 0.583
7/12 · higher
| Domain | Deficit (yes/no) | Theme |
|---|---|---|
| Energy & nutrition | Exhaustion most days | Fatigue / anergia |
| Energy & nutrition | Unintentional weight loss (past year) | Nutrition / sarcopenia risk |
| Physical function | Weakness (bags / rising from chair) | Strength |
| Physical function | Slow walking or limited mobility | Mobility / gait |
| Physical function | Low physical activity (<2 active days/week teaching proxy) | Activity |
| Falls & meds | Fall in the past year | Falls history |
| Falls & meds | Five or more regular medications | Polypharmacy burden |
| Function & cognition | Difficulty shopping or managing finances | IADL proxy |
| Function & cognition | Memory or decision-making problems | Cognition (not MMSE) |
| Healthcare use | Hospitalization in the past year | Acute care utilization |
| Multimorbidity & mood | Five or more chronic conditions | Disease burden |
| Multimorbidity & mood | Depressed mood or loss of interest | Mood (not PHQ-9) |
Formula: Frailty Index = (number of “yes” deficits) ÷ 12
| Band | Deficits | FI range | Meaning | Educational action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lower | 0–2 of 12 | 0 – 0.17 | Fewer selected deficits on this teaching checklist | Still consider acute illness; frailty is dynamic—not a one-time label |
| Moderate | 3–4 of 12 | 0.25 – 0.33 | Several vulnerability themes—prompt for structured geriatric review in teaching | Medication reconciliation, falls history, mobility, nutrition, advance care planning discussion |
| Higher | 5+ of 12 | ≥ ~0.42 | Higher deficit accumulation on this 12-item subset | Comprehensive geriatric assessment themes—not automatic institutionalization or surgery denial |
| Context | Typical discussion | Caveat for this calculator |
|---|---|---|
| Many community cohorts | FI ≈ 0.25+ discussed as frailty range | Denominator may be 30–70+ deficits, not 12 |
| FI submaximal limit | Theoretical max < 1 in deficit models | More deficits counted → higher FI possible |
| This calculator | 5+ / 12 ≈ 0.42 → higher teaching band | Not interchangeable with published FI thresholds |
| Tool | Model | Output | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frailty Index (this page) | Deficit accumulation: FI = present deficits ÷ 12 | FI 0–1 + lower/moderate/higher bands | 12-item teaching subset—not a cohort-validated variable list |
| Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) | Clinician judgment on 9 pictorial anchors | Score 1 (very fit) to 9 (terminally ill) | Widely used in hospitals; not arithmetic FI |
| FRAIL scale | Five components: Fatigue, Resistance, Ambulation, Illness, Loss of weight | 0–5 count; frail often ≥3 | Quick screen—not deficit accumulation |
| Fried frailty phenotype | Five criteria: weight loss, exhaustion, weakness, slow gait, low activity | Robust / prefrail / frail categories | Performance-based; overlaps some FI themes |
Frailty as a proportion of health deficits—not a single lab value—helps learners see how syndromes cluster in older adults.
Research denominators vary; fixing 12 items lets students compare vignettes without redefining the total each time.
Energy, nutrition, mobility, medications, falls, IADLs, cognition, utilization, multimorbidity, and mood—CGA teaching themes.
Related: fall risk assessment calculator, GFR calculator.
Not for diagnosis or clearance: Frailty labeling affects care goals and risk conversations—always interpret FI with a licensed clinician who knows the full clinical picture.
For geriatrics courses, nursing fundamentals, and population health teaching
Suggested hashtags: #Frailty #Geriatrics #MedEd #PopulationHealth #Calculator