Ageing populations face increasing burdens from frailty and social isolation, which are two inter-related public health challenges that increase the risk of dementia, hospitalisation, and mortality. Despite health systems' potential to intervene, the co-occurrence of frailty and social isolation remains overlooked in policy, research, and routine care, leading to fragmented and insufficient responses. Structural barriers (eg, cultural and linguistic obstacles, low health literacy, complex system navigation, financial constraints, geographical isolation, and care coordination) further limit access.
The Lancet Public Health published a clinical update in Infectious Disease on 06 Feb 2026. The item focuses on Rethinking health-care systems to tackle social isolation and frailty. Open the detail page to review the full original feed content.