Need for an individualized approach to preventive care in the elderly
Mangin and colleagues outline an argument in favour of benign neglect
in regard to 'elderly people' as being in their best interest. That every
older patient has a similar notion of a 'good way to go' presumes a
sensibility not shared by many of my older patients. At no time are we
provided with a definition of what is understood by 'elderly' and apart
from the use of statins in the older patient no other preventive
interventions are described. There are many preventive measures that are
of clear benefit to the older patient eg influenza vaccination in
residential care settings and blood pressure monitoring and treatment. Are
we to discontinue these practices? To promote a preventive nihilism based
on the use of statins in older patients is overly simplistic and runs
counter to their own arguments. In fact to characterize the elderly as
having 'many compounding diseases' is paternalistic when each patient
requires our individual consideration and counsel to assist them in
understanding the limits and potential of preventive health care towards
the end of life.
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests:
No competing interests
11 August 2007
Paddy B Quail
Medical Leader Home Care
Calgary Health Region, 10101 Southport Road SW, Calgary, AB Canada T2W 3N2
Rapid Response:
Need for an individualized approach to preventive care in the elderly
Mangin and colleagues outline an argument in favour of benign neglect
in regard to 'elderly people' as being in their best interest. That every
older patient has a similar notion of a 'good way to go' presumes a
sensibility not shared by many of my older patients. At no time are we
provided with a definition of what is understood by 'elderly' and apart
from the use of statins in the older patient no other preventive
interventions are described. There are many preventive measures that are
of clear benefit to the older patient eg influenza vaccination in
residential care settings and blood pressure monitoring and treatment. Are
we to discontinue these practices? To promote a preventive nihilism based
on the use of statins in older patients is overly simplistic and runs
counter to their own arguments. In fact to characterize the elderly as
having 'many compounding diseases' is paternalistic when each patient
requires our individual consideration and counsel to assist them in
understanding the limits and potential of preventive health care towards
the end of life.
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests