To Senior survivors: Would you share your perspective?
I used to volunteer for an organization that serves seniors, and one of the things I heard again and again was that doctors often didn't understand enough about older people's health or the experience of aging. And worse, they sometimes were insensitive in the ways they communicated with their older patients.
One woman illustrated this point beautifully when she described a conversation she had with her doctor about a health condition that was causing her discomfort.
"What do you expect at your age?" the doctor asked her. Clearly, he wasn't really looking for an answer.
Thankfully, not all doctors express this attitude, and many are learning the information they need to provide thorough treatment for their older patients, especially as the population ages. This is a good thing, but the process is ongoing. And SHARE is trying to help.
We're developing a project called "Sharing the Senior Perspective," which is a part of our longstanding work to improve communication between patients and their doctors. (SHARE's program "Side by Side" works to empower patients and their doctors to communicate more effectively. Click here for more information).
"Sharing the Senior Perspective" is primarily an educational series that will give doctors the benefit of learning from a small group of seniors what it means to age and what role aging plays in their experience with illness and treatment. And doctors will learn how they can more sensitively communicate with their older patients.
Seniors will get the benefit of learning some things from doctors, as well, such as why older people may not be considered good candidates for clinical trials. The point of the project is to enhance learning and communication on both sides.
We'd love to incorporate the perspectives of our senior readers into these workshops. Do you have any thoughts or experiences you'd like to share about your relationship with your doctor? Have you had a particularly negative or positive experience while communicating with a doctor, and if so, what made it negative or positive? Is there anything you think doctors should know about aging? Is there anything you think doctors should know about communicating with their older patients? If you're not a senior, do you have family members or friends with stories to tell?
We welcome all your comments (and it would be most helpful if you could provide your age or age-range, if you prefer). Thank you!
Posted November 2, 2009.
« Next Post | » Previous Post