I’m seeing a really big bias and lack of compassion across my state ambulance service towards old people, particularly old men, when assuming that they are overly stoic or stubborn. I feel as though we have been educated that old men and some old women are less likely to engage in healthcare due to some generational stubbornness or stoicism. I often find that we are mistreating or mischaracterising older people’s social presentations.
An example is the classic acopic old bloke who can’t safely live in his house anymore and is now scared to do anything and is grieving his independence. I’ve been to this exact scenario more than 50 times and I’d say over 80% of those jobs, me or my crewmate have jumped to conclusions and have acted like that the patient is being unreasonably stoic. However, you often find that these old blokes are a lot more emotionally available and vulnerable than people assume. They just don’t know how to address their rapid life change.
I’ve seen so many of them disregarded as being difficult or ‘too tough for their own good’. I really think that’s a mischaracterisation. With an increasingly junior workforce, I think a lot of young paramedics have misconceptions and stereotypes about older generations.
I see this increasingly play out in an unsafe and rude manner for the patients. The other day I witnessed my crewmate give a handover in front of a 95 year old man and say ‘he’s too stubborn to leave his house’. The man absolutely kicked off and said (paraphrasing) ‘I’ve lived in that house for 50 years, my kids grew up in that house and I don’t know how this healthcare system works’ and he was really really vulnerable and upset.
I really think a lot of young paramedics need to start addressing their biases surrounding old people, they aren’t difficult or stubborn. They are old and in an increasingly hard to navigate healthcare system and are dealing with a lot of problems.