I will never forget Doris who lived in the elderly apartment building I ran. She had a persistent cough so she went to her doctor. He told her it was all in her head and gave her cough syrup and Prozac. She said malarkey (not really she used a swear word) and went for second opinion. She had lung cancer.
What is ageism in medicine?
Ageism in medicine is real. I have experienced it myself, even though I am younger than our clients. Aging comes with natural aches and pains so it is the first thing that comes to mind when a doctor makes a diagnosis. Medical professionals may not even realize they are practicing ageism. Screening test that are common for people in their 50’s and 60’s are dismissed by some doctors for their older patients. Memory loss and depression are also common in older adults so doctors will issue a psychosomatic diagnosis more often than for younger people.
The definition of ageism in medicine is a health care professional being more aggressive in testing and treatment with younger people with the same symptoms as an older adult. In fact 20% of older adults reported ageism in their health care according to U.S. National Health and Retirement data.
Ageism can also manifest itself in the way health care professionals talk to their older patients. Some talk so loudly to every patient over 80 without even knowing if they have hearing loss. Others speak to a family member and not the patient, even if the patient has no memory loss. Others speak to their older patients as if they are a child.
What can you do?
The best defense is asking good questions. Ask the health care professional why they made that diagnosis and what are other possibilities for these symptoms or why did they choose not to prescribe a certain test.
If you are being spoken to as a child or being bypassed and the doctor is speaking to your family member instead – speak up! Older people were taught that the doctor is always right. That is not true anymore. Think of yourself as a customer. Would you want to be ignored or spoken down to at the department store? No, you would find someplace else to shop.
If, despite your best efforts your health care professional is still doing things that seem like ageism, get another doctor. Geriatricians specialize in older adults and have a better grasp of what is normal aging and what needs attention. If there is no geriatric doctor in your area, search out someone with many older patients that seem compassionate and is a good listener. You deserve good medical care. It could extend your life.
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