BMJ 2001;323:340 ( 11 August )

Letters

Maintaining older people's dignity and autonomy in healthcare settings

    Whole system must be looked at to prevent degrading treatment
    Elder abuse is both community and healthcare issue

Whole system must be looked at to prevent degrading treatment

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITORUnfortunately, I cannot agree with Lothian and Philp in their article on the dignity and autonomy of older people in the healthcare setting.¹ On several occasions I have put forward the view that British health care is failing older patients as a consequence of system-wide abuse of staff, managers, purchasers, and politicians. ^{2 3} As long as this corrosive, self sustaining culture remains untouched it is impossible to improve the dignity and autonomy of any group, let alone the more disadvantaged ones. What Lothian and Philp call the anecdotal evidence of a continuing, serious problem is already overwhelming and is still growing.

Recently, a 91 year old family member was finally given a hospital bed after being taken to an accident and emergency department after falling down the stairs. She had fractured three ribs and sustained a severe, immobilising calf injury. She spent eight hours, until 3 am, in hospital A's accident . . . [Full text of this article]

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This article has been cited by other articles:

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