Life occurs in different stages from birth, childhood, teenagehood, youth, and adulthood, after which death occurs as the end of life. As people transition from one stage to another, they interact with the healthcare system to cater to their different health needs. In this process, individuals experience care differently. For instance, as people grow older, they are vulnerable to various health conditions, which means they interact with the healthcare system more than when they were younger. This paper discusses the stages of life and the influence of age in healthcare from the patient’s perspective. I will interview a 63-year old neighbor to share her experiences of interacting with the healthcare system.
Life starts at birth, and toddlers depend on their mothers for nourishment, care, and protection. It then progresses to childhood, and as children grow, they are dependent on their parents or guardians. In teenagehood, even though individuals in this age group have grown significantly, they are still reliant on their parents to make decisions concerning how they interact with the healthcare system. Adulthood starts at the age of 18 years, and as people grow older, their needs for healthcare increase significantly. After the age of 60 years, the body systems and organs start to become slow, and the immune system weakens (WHO, n.d.), which explains why individuals in this age bracket account for the largest number of those in need of healthcare services.
Patients perceive healthcare differently, and specifically, as people age, they become concerned with how care is delivered (Wyman et al., 2018). Children may not have the capacity to reflect and share their experiences, while young adults might be busy thinking about how care is delivered. However, the aged have the time to reflect, and these assertions highlight the influence of age on healthcare.
I interviewed my 63-year old neighbor, who had been hospitalized a few weeks ago, and she was more than willing to share her experience with me as indicated in the following interview, whereby I used open-ended questions prepared in advance.
Me: Welcome, Mrs. K, and thank you for creating time to answer my few questions concerning your experience when interacting with the healthcare system.
Neighbor: You are welcome and thank you for giving me this opportunity to share with you.
Me: Do you feel your stage of life had any effect on your interaction with health care professionals?
Neighbor: Absolutely. Over the years, I have realized that nurses care more for the aged, and they seek to offer personalized care. During my recent hospitalization, I think that I was overly taken care of because I am old.
Me: Which areas of the hospital or clinic were most concerned with your wellbeing and feelings?
Neighbor: Right now, I think nurses are highly trained to handle patients. I feel that they take care of my well-being and feelings. In the ward, I was sufficiently taken care of, and the nurses were friendly.
Me: Was your family with you during this hospital stay?
Neighbor: Yes, as a family, we have always been present for one another, and they all came to visit frequently.
Me: Was your family involved in your treatment, such as post-procedure instructions?
Neighbor: Absolutely, my family had to be consulted before major decisions concerning my health were made. I feel that nowadays, care is more patient-centered than it was three decades ago.
Me: Thank you for your invaluable time and insights.
From this interview, it is clear that age is a factor in the way patients interact with the healthcare system. Grocott and McSherry (2018) posit that effective communication between patients and care providers plays a central role in care provision. Therefore, care providers should ensure that they give full attention to their patients regardless of the stage of life.
References
Grocott, A., & McSherry, W. (2018). The Patient Experience: Informing practice through identification of meaningful communication from the patient’s perspective. Healthcare, 6(1), 26-40.
WHO. (n.d.). Health at key stages of life – the life-course approach to public health.
Wyman, M., Shiovitz-Ezra, S., & Bengel, J. (2018). Ageism in the health care system: Providers, patients, and systems. In L. Ayalon and C. Tesch-Romer (Eds.), Contemporary perspectives on ageism (pp. 193-212). Springer.