The “o word”: Using old age as an interactional tool in primary care

• In Event: 3129 - Section on Medical Sociology Refereed Roundtables (1 hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: Table 29. Issues in Aging and Dying

Abstract

Scholars have documented the prevalence of ageism and ageist language throughout society, but ageism is of particular importance in medical settings because the elderly comprise the fastest growing patient group in the United States. Studies have shown that doctors often have negative attitudes about treating older patients and that they report having difficulty initiating conversations about age-related concerns. Even though old age is a label that is associated with many negative connotations, in this paper I will demonstrate how old age can be used to facilitate difficult discussions about the uncertainty inherent in age-related health problems. Drawing from observations of patient visits in primary care and interviews with geriatricians, I find that old age can be mobilized by both geriatricians and their elderly patients to bridge the communication gap between doctor and patient. In particular, I will show how mentioning old age enables geriatricians and their patients to a) collaboratively achieve holistic medical care that bridges the gap between the voice of medicine and the voice of the lifeworld, and b) personalize decisions about medical care. In turn, this enables geriatricians and their patients to overcome the problematization of age and aging by using it to collaboratively establish a partnership in medical interactions.

Author

• Caroline Kim Tietbohl, University of California, Los Angeles