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Normally associated with extreme age, the frailty of the elderly has benefited from a renewed interest following the replacement of a fixed representation of old age by a more complex and dynamic representation of aging, and a better appreciation of its impact on elderly people’s quality of life during their final years. Colloquia on frailty are regularly scheduled, a scientific journal entitled The Journal of Frailty and Aging has been established, and many research projects are dedicated to this topic. After an overview of the contributions of medical research, sociology, and psychology to the understanding of frailty, this article presents the support they can provide to help the elderly better protect themselves against the major risks of frailty and to postpone some of its manifestations.