Ageism

Gemini · Post by **Gemini** » 25 May 2005, 08:23

A shocker and downright disgraceful!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4514399.stm

DG · Post by DG » 27 May 2005, 09:50

This is awful. The elderly are discriminated against enough without the NICE guidelines encouraging it. The ides that regular breast screening stops at the age of 70 is outrageous. 70 is no longer considered 'old' and certainly does not mean 'past it'.

My dad is in his mid 70's - rides a mountain bike, cares and maintains a large garden, walks almost everywhere, and helps 'the elderly' and frail get around through his church organisation. Both my parents seize life with both hands and continue to have dreams and wishes to experience as many new things as they can. Tey have also both paid taxes and national insurance all their lives. The thought that they may be denied treatment due to their ages horrifies me. And I don't believe that my parents are different or any more deserving than any other person of this age group.

What is happening to society

?

DG

foxy · Post by **foxy** » 29 May 2005, 20:33

Especially as we now have to work for longer before we can claim the state pension. So we should work till we drop, contribute to the economy for the best part of 50 years and then disappear and die quietly

Gemini · Post by **Gemini** » 29 May 2005, 22:21

You are obviously in the wrong job Foxy, how about this for a pension:

http://www.wpherald.com/storyview.php?S ... 3559-3233r

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 29 May 2005, 22:49

Um, are you saying you disagree with the whole thing?

1. It says that part of the reason for "discrimination" is where age is an indicator of risk - if the chance of death due to a general anaesthetic or post-operative infection, or whatever other complicating factors that may make things too great a risk in the geriatric patient is such that, for example, a consultant Surgeon and/or Geriatrician both concur that an operation is too great a risk - are you stating that they should be over-ruled?

2. It says that "discrimination" can be positive as well as negative (flu jab).

foxy · Post by **foxy** » 30 May 2005, 15:52

Dadaist wrote:Um, are you saying you disagree with the whole thing?

1. It says that part of the reason for "discrimination" is where age is an indicator of risk - if the chance of death due to a general anaesthetic or post-operative infection, or whatever other complicating factors that may make things too great a risk in the geriatric patient is such that, for example, a consultant Surgeon and/or Geriatrician both concur that an operation is too great a risk - are you stating that they should be over-ruled?

2. It says that "discrimination" can be positive as well as negative (flu jab).

If a Surgeon and/or Geriatrician determine that having surgery poses a risk for an older person, then in my view that is not discrimination, just good practice and common sense.

I am concerned about age based rationing, and the article states that 80% of GP's believe it is already happening in the NHS

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 30 May 2005, 19:39

No worries foxy - it's a fair point - my example wasn't really of discrimination.

Here's another one. There is a premise though - and that is that there is only a finite amount of money in the pot, and that a given department has to perform the "best" it can.

IVF treatment is very expensive, and doesn't work as good after a certain age. There is a cut-off age and a maximum number of treatment cycles per person.

If your position is that there should be no age-based discrimination, and you accept the initial premise, what is your fair and equitable solution?

foxy · Post by **foxy** » 30 May 2005, 22:33

Bad example for me as personally I'm not convinced that IVF should be available on an unlimited basis to any age group and quite frankly the thought of women of a certain age having babies in this way makes me squirm.

My concern is more about life saving ops/drugs and precautionary procedures such breast screening being limited often randomly depending on the budget of a particular Health Authority

I'm sensible enough to realise that the pot is not bottomless
All types of healthcare are equally important to the indivuals/families concerned.

I don't have a solution is the honest answer

Pal of Porty · Post by **Pal of Porty** » 31 May 2005, 15:34

At least ageism is getting older! Not so long ago it used to be aged 50 when all this type of thing started.

Gemini · Post by **Gemini** » 31 May 2005, 20:52

Pal of Porty wrote:At least ageism is getting older! Not so long ago it used to be aged 50 when all this type of thing started.