Ageism in hospital letter

My DH was 82 when his consultant sent him for a fitness test to see if he could have a major operation. He passed the test and the operation was done. No ageism there!

I recently read that "the patient tolerated the treatment quite well!"
This was very far from the truth, I stopped the procedure by telling I would scream in a very loud voice and everyone waiting would most certainly hear it and be terrified !

Lesley60

I Think health professionals should be mindful of what they write in reports and referral letters as they know that patients can see them.

The purpose of referral letters and reports is to inform the person to whom the patient has been referred, in the fullest possible way, about the background of the patient and why the patient has be referred.

If some of the contents are not to the liking of the patient and they consider them rude perhaps the patient should remember that this is not a social situation and the purpose of the letter is to inform the recipient not to soft soap the patient.

I have seen letters which describe patients not just as elderly but also, unkempt, dirty and smelly, unco-operative, of limited intelligence, unable to understand the importance of complying with their treatment and many other comments which, out of context would be considered rude and insensitive.

I’ve had some hilarious consultant letters, one described me as “a lovely lady”

gransruleok

My notes read “she wanted to talk about her swollen feet, I wanted to talk about her test results”. Huh, my first thought was who is ‘she’ the cat’s mother? My second thought was “who made the * appointment? I didn’t expect such ignorance from my GP.

I think I’d rather not read my notes then. 😉

Just to clarify " speaking in full sentences" is a measure of a patients respiratory health NOT their IQ....
It's frequently written in patients notes

I know it is customary in social situations to think any reference to somebody ageing or being old is disrespectful but in medicine there is a need to deal with the objective reality of how age affects treatment and outcomes.

This is not ageism, this is the best and most effective way to treat people medically.

Many years ago we had a good laugh when reading MiL's notes when she went in for a tonsellectomy at the age of 55. The notes said 'Despite her great age, we think this operation should take place.'

They had good reason to write this because the older you are the more likely you are to have a haemorrhage after a tonsillectomy, which is particularly dangerous. DH had his tonsils out in his 40s and was kept in hospital for 2 extra days because of concerns about him having a haemorrhage.

None of us saw it as ageism. We all saw it as a statement of fact.

On DH NHS app appointment report: "Speaks in full sentences". Good job he didn't use any if his occasional single four letter words!

Lesley60

I Think health professionals should be mindful of what they write in reports and referral letters as they know that patients can see them.

I expect they are 'mindful' of the fact that an old person is old and accepting this fact but still wishing their patient to have appropriate treatment is doing the right thing, even if the person may not receive the greatest possible benefit from the treatment because of their age.

People need to get real and stop being offended about reality.

I am not offended by being seen as old - I am old.
What annoyed me about my letter was the implication that, even though I am old, I should still have the scan. Which I took to mean that they don’t usually bother with doing it for older people. However, foxie48 explained:

"For others, particularly older people over the age of 75, the risk of breaking a bone may be so high that there's no need for them to have a bone density scan before treatment is prescribed" taken from the NHS guidance on DEXA.

This makes sense so I am no longer annoyed by the letter. Let’s forget it now.

I acceot the fact I am old, many long gone would rather be in my shoes. I am not offended by the term.

I broke my first neck of femur back in 1993 at the age of 53. It was then that my quite bad osteoporosis was diagnosed. Women who have a very early menopause are prone to it evidently. My second fracture was about 8 years ago, but at least I wasn't on the side of a Welsh mountain that time!

Sometimes you just have to acknowledge that you are old. Personally I don’t have a problem with it.

I Think health professionals should be mindful of what they write in reports and referral letters as they know that patients can see them.

Ageism isn’t only about making judgements concerning older age. Ageism is also reflected in making judgements about younger age, evidenced by young women being ignored with various symptoms usually connected to older people.

Doctors shouldn't have to pussyfoot around facts. I have many hospital letters that routinely describe me as 'obese'. It's true, even if I'd rather you didn't mention it in daily conversation!

Wow that’s awful

foxie48

"For others, particularly older people over the age of 75, the risk of breaking a bone may be so high that there's no need for them to have a bone density scan before treatment is prescribed" taken from the NHS guidance on DEXA.

www.nhs.uk/tests-and-treatments/dexa-scan/why-its-done/

😲

That is wrong as not everyone has osteoporosis and may break a bone despite not having it.

I've known two people who have been seriously ill because they were advised to tale calcium tablets despite not having a DEXA scan. Having treatment without investigating first can cause problems.

Mentioning age is not ageism.

My first thought would have been puzzlement and "I must be looking very good for my age" if I'd had a comment like that.

But yep....on reflection I'd change my interpretation to "Are they thinking 'Is it worth it to do much at that age?" and they would be on very dangerous ground - as I've never had any medical care for children or pregnancies and had to pay for my own sterilisation operation back along !!!!! I'd be holding out a virtual balance sheet of money the NHS has spent on me over the years - and they'd get "You owe me - a LOT - as I've taken so little from you. So we''ll have no attempt at rationing me/thinking I won't be around for long".

I don't see why age comes into it at any point with any illness - but then I had a doctor implying I had arthritis in my 30's!!!! I refrained from what I would have liked to do to him at that point - and just walked out the door and sacked him. Here I am in my 70's - and I don't have arthritis.

Well,I had to pay for a Dexa scan some years ago.
I am now 80 and could do with another one.
But I doubt I can get it on the NHS.

Any checkups as you age should be welcomed.
But I do worry that us oldies will sideline or overlooked as we are considered too old! .

My notes read “she wanted to talk about her swollen feet, I wanted to talk about her test results”. Huh, my first thought was who is ‘she’ the cat’s mother? My second thought was “who made the * appointment? I didn’t expect such ignorance from my GP.

The copy of a GP letter sent to my mother (93 but totally compos mentis and an ex nurse) in reply to the GP's request for an ECG basically said that in view of her CKD, osteoporosis ongoing heart problems and age they wouldn't bother as they were more or less writing her off!
It was the first she had heard of the Osteoporosis or kidney disease! High-handedness and ageism to my mind!

We have a family joke about DHs NHS app. On one of his consultations is noted "speaks in full sentences".