7 reasons why doctors should scrap the word ‘elderly’
The word is like 'imbecile' or 'idiot' and is anachronistic and offensive, says professor
The word ‘elderly’ should not be used in medicine, argues Professor Javad Hekmat-panah, a neurologist and neurosurgeon based at the University of Chicago in the US.
Writing a blog for the BMJ, he gives seven reasons why the word should be thrown out.
“To label everyone above a certain age as ‘elderly’ and to treat them identically defies the principle of treating everyone as an individual, which should be at the heart of medicine,” he concludes.
