Older people are often not treated with dignity by health- care workers

Health services should preserve dignity and autonomy and minimise distress among patients. Lothian et al conducted an extensive literature search and discovered that this was not the case for older patients in England (p 668). Some of their data was anecdotal but still suggests that many healthcare professionals hold negative attitudes towards older people. Providing information and quality interactions between staff and patients are key issues but many staff are not trained in the needs and care of older people. The authors recommend such training for all staff.

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Relevant Article

Care of older people: Maintaining the dignity and autonomy of older people in the healthcare setting

Kate Lothian and Ian Philp
BMJ 2001 322: 668-670. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]