Re: senior death warrants!!

Hi Sara,
agism is rife within the UK in healthcare as in any other sphere, but this is not the only factor in consideration of health-risks/benefits in the elderly in considering heart and other surgeries.
My Uncle was denied heart-valve replacement in his mid 70's, because they said the risk was too high for a man of that age: a condition that he had suffered from all his life, and greatly contributed to his demise at the age of 81.

I strongly suspect that My Mother was a victim of agism in qualifying for healthcare that could have saved her life, and came to that conclusion after she was not aided in drinking or eating at the hospital where she died and resided for 18 days; in my opinion although the official cause of death was Congestive Heart failure with odema and renal failure, the severe dehydration and malnourishment she suffered from, were the major contributors to her death.
The Doctors in attendance, and who oversaw her case I believe were persuaded by her age not to intervene and only offer palliative care.
This of course cannot be proven, but when I confronted the Cardiologist in charge of her case concerning the matter, he just shrugged his shoulders to my disgust and disbelief.
I let him know my opinion in no uncertain terms.
http://www.rcsed.ac.uk/Journal/vol44_4/4440022.htm



Chrisb1