We’re hearing an awful lot about how vulnerable groups, especially the elderly, require special protection from Covid-19. Strangely, though, we’re hearing very little from old people themselves.
That’s okay. After all, we love our grandparents. They went through tough times, and yet they looked after us through thick and thin. They deserve protection in turn. Of course, some of them tend to be a bit stubborn and contrary. That’s okay too; our job is to explain to them, kindly if firmly, what’s best for them.
Unfortunately, though, old people are not some species of cossetted and especially appealing pets. They are sentient and autonomous human beings. They deserve a say. And yet, this is denied to them.
Make no mistake: the lockdown is doing the aged no favours. Inventing new language may make us feel better personally, but it isn’t ameliorating the real conditions on the ground. Let’s be transparent: we’re not “cocooning” our grandparents. We’re not even isolating them.
We’re ostracising them.
The net result is that, not only will the elderly remain at risk of infection, they’ll be subjected to what many of them fear most: loneliness. Many will die as a result of associated despair, or from the neglected treatment of other chronic illnesses. At the same time, scandalously, we’re denying care workers personal protective equipment. This means that not only are the carers more at risk themselves, they’re more at risk of spreading infection to their vulnerable clients.
It’s not clear why this is happening; the most likely explanation is that we’re using vulnerable groups as a shield for our own fears. The alarmism of mainstream and social media has convinced us that our own horrible deaths are just around the corner. How can we deal with this?
I know! We’ll argue that we’re advocating lockdown to protect vulnerable groups!
Whatever the media suggest, advanced age in itself has not been shown to be an independent risk factor for a poor outcome in coronavirus infection. It is, however, a marker for other risk factors, including general frailty and associated chronic diseases. This is not specific for Covid-19, but common to all acute illnesses.
Health care professionals, even in attenuated circumstances, will never make a decision based on age alone. Their management plan will be dictated by the individual merits of every case, including the appropriateness of any proposed treatment, and, even more importantly, the fully informed wishes of the individual concerned. Invasive ventilation will not be denied to any patient merely because they’re more than 70 years of age (although, once a patient understands what the purgatory of intensive care really means, they may turn down the option anyway).
It’s time to be transparent, not only in our language, but about our own motives. This reverse patronisation does nobody any good: neither ourselves, nor, especially, our disenfranchised seniors.
It’s nothing but ageism. Let’s acknowledge this, and avoid it.
Photo by geralt is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA
Peter Garrett is a writer and independent physician, currently doing his bit behind the lines.
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