When I give presentations to my older adult peers on how to be smarter patients advocating for themselves in healthcare situations, I promote the effective strategy of asking their doctors about their conditions as well as about any prescribed medications or treatments. Examples I suggest are “What could be causing my problem?”, “What are the possible side effects of this medicine?”, “What’s the purpose of this procedure?”, “What could happen if I choose not to take this drug?” and “How necessary is it for me to have this surgery done right now?”
Ironically, some older patients shy away from asking such questions because they don’t want to “make waves” by appearing confrontational and thus alienating their doctor. But asking questions is vital to receiving optimal medical care by making good decisions and taking responsible actions. The best healthcare providers want to address their patients’ confusion and allay their concerns in order to arrive at effective ways to ease and hopefully eliminate their physical conditions.
It’s important to make sense of why this form of prejudice and discrimination exists in order to figure out how to end it.
Confronting Ageism
Our society is likewise experiencing the throes of a serious condition that harms our collective health: ageism. It is widespread and insidious, threatening the livelihood, health, and relationships of people of all ages. And as with all life-threatening illnesses, it’s important to make sense of why this form of prejudice and discrimination exists in order to figure out how to end it.
So I say we should apply the same strategy of asking questions. Here are some to consider.
Where or when have I seen this discrimination happen before? It’s not surprising that the marginalization, neglect, and abuse directed at many older adults are somewhat akin to assaults toward other groups based on their race, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, class, or religion. The benefit of this question is to call our attention to adopting a rights-based approach to aging––that is, using historically effective civil rights strategies such as organizing, protesting, lobbying, and boycotting.
Who benefits from this negative situation or condition? This question is particularly powerful when directed toward the multibillion-dollar “anti-aging” industries of cosmetics, plastic surgery, unproven nutritional supplements, and other businesses that are wildly profiting by keeping us afraid to age naturally. Once we realize that we’re lining others’ pockets at the expense of our empowerment and peace of mind, we can stop supporting these parasitic ventures.
Does what I’m witnessing or experiencing have to do with age, or is it about something else? Like all other discriminatory “isms,” ageism is based on lazy thinking that refuses to view people as individuals and instead creates false, harmful stereotypes. A common example of this is the ageist assertion that there are too many old people running our government––with old being synonymous with out of touch, physically/mentally weak, and entrenched. As I’ve written before on the issue of gerontocracy, it’s not age that should determine a person’s value but rather competence, the ability to do a job. And the “something else” in question that drives accusers’ skepticism and rebuke isn’t gerontocracy but rather autocracy, kleptocracy, plutocracy, and/or theocracy.
A sizable proportion of older adults are regularly excluded from medical clinical trials because they are considered too risky or beyond the norm, despite the fact that many illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes are more likely to emerge in later life.
What if this ageist situation or condition didn’t exist? Consider this fact: A sizable proportion of older adults are regularly excluded from medical clinical trials because they are considered too risky or beyond the norm, despite the fact that many illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes are more likely to emerge in later life. As a result, doctors don’t know the effective dose of medication or the appropriate treatment to prescribe, which can differ considerably from what is ordered for a young or midlife adult.
No Longer Tolerable
Why is this belief or behavior considered acceptable? Whether it’s comedians and commercials making fun of old people, employers hinting to older workers about the joys of retirement, or elders being spoken to in dismissive ways or treated as pathetic or needy, many of us tolerate and fail to challenge ageist comments, insinuations, and suggestions about the way to live one’s later years. Needless to say, that’s not acceptable, and we should be demanding more humane, dignified, and respectful treatment toward people of all ages.
What can I and others do to manage or change this situation or condition? This is the most important question of all. All progress starts with awareness. Just as smart patients are aware of how their own bodies act and react, all of us at any age can become aware of how ageism affects the quality of our lives.
That awareness comes from asking the right questions.
And then demanding answers.
Jeanette Leardi, a member of ASA’s Ageism & Culture Advisory Council, is a social gerontologist, community educator, public speaker, and the author of “AGING SIDEWAYS: Changing Our Perspectives on Getting Older.“
Photo credit: Shutterstock/TheShots.co
