Quote Originally Posted by Crankin View Post
Thank you, Roadie Gal and Knott. I know that you are both in the medical field. It's true, we are not used to seeing people who are at least healthy "looking," but I would hope to be treated as an intelligent person who is invested in my health, unless I show them otherwise!
I keep thinking that if I talked to my clients the way I have been talked to, I wouldn't last very long. Sure, a lot of them don't comply with the things we discuss in session all of the time, but, that is why they are seeing me.
And don't get me started on the new pcp I saw last week. I decided to give her a chance, after seeing her for a sinus infection. She just had no clue as to how to talk to an older person who leads an active lifestyle, so I will be looking for someone else.
I absolutely cringe when someone refers to an older person as "X years young" or "Young lady". (It's almost always a female patient, not male that's being refered to.) I think it's demeaning to the patient.

I always speak to my patients as intelligent people who want the best for their health. Even with my ER time constraints I try to explain what is going on, what we're going to do to evaluate it, and what the plan of treatment is. I think people rise or descend to the level that we expect of them.

I must admit that I will occasionally insult the intelligence of some drunk fool, but that's another thing entirely.