Is there an age limit?

Greetings!  I’m Christian Robicheau, assistant editor at www.sterlingcreations.ca.  Today, I am delighted to bring you the weekly editorial by our president Donna J. Jodhan.  Today, Donna discusses whether or not there is an age limit.
I wish you a great weekend.
 
 
Is there an age limit?
By Donna J. Jodhan
 
For some time now, I have wanted to write about this but for some reason I have put off doing it because I wanted to make sure that I am not the only one who thinks this way.  I have heard from many with their similar experiences so I know now that I am not the only one and for once in my life, my imagination has not gotten the better of me.  What am I focusing on today you may be asking?  Well, here is the question of the day.
 
Is there an age limit when it comes to how doctors view their patients?  I mean:  Does a doctor’s attitude change towards their patients as they grow older?  I used to think not but after some time of pondering this and hearing from others, I have to say that sadly!  The answer may be a yes.  Is this a shocker or shaker?  I am not really sure but what I can tell you is that in the city of Toronto where I live, there are doctors who seem to believe that treatments for their older patients may not be needed or necessary because of their age.  I have personally heard of doctors telling some of their seniors patients things like:  “Well, you have lived a long life so now that you have been diagnosed with cancer, it’s time for you to accept it.  You’re going to die anyway.”  Or:  “You’re 80 years old and why would you want to prolong your life anymore if you are sick?”  I personally have had a doctor tell me that I should not bother trying to find a medical solution for my loss of vision because in my lifetime I will never see any type of medical break through for my problem.  The sad thing about this particular doctor is that he has served on the board of a prominent agency for the Blind. 
 
I have friends who have expressed to me that not only there seems to be an age limit on how doctors treat their patients but it also seems to extend to how they view their disabled patients.  I can speak first hand to how some doctors view their blind and visually impaired patients; many of them do not believe that it is worth their time to work towards finding ways to improve the vision of their patients.  Now, one could easily put forward the argument that here in Toronto, doctors as a whole are over worked and under paid or that the health system is just too cluttered and overloaded for doctors to be able to perform adequately.  These two arguments may be contributing factors but it still does not change my opinion that there seems to be a definite age limit when it comes to how doctors view their patients.