It is hard to disagree that treating older persons is often a challenging and long process that requires attention and patience from medical personnel. Sometimes, the doctor or nurse needs to be able to find the right words and arguments to convince an older person to get treatment or take medicine (Pfeifer, 2015). In Mr. Jones’ situation, there are some factors that cause his views and reactions. Knowing them and some additional information may be useful to understand the reasons for Mr. Jones’s reluctance to be treated and assist him in improving his function and comfort level.
Mr. Jones is a single 70-year-old person who has severe joint restrictions in his hips and knee due to arthritis and suffers constant joint pain because of that. He says that he does not need physical therapy, rejects the surgery recommendations, and does not use a cane for walking. There are some psychological factors that may cause this behavior. No one wants to grow old, and many people are afraid not of death but of old age, helplessness, and the fact that no one will love them anymore (Tabloski, 2014). It seems to Mr. Jones that if he agrees to the treatment, undergoes surgery, or takes a cane, he will finally recognize his own age. For him, it is worse and more stressful than joint pain.
Also, he may be afraid of not surviving the surgery. It is essential to learn if he ever had unsuccessful surgeries. Probably something has happened in his past, and because of that, he is afraid to undergo many surgeries and treatments. Also, he could have had successful surgeries and treatment in his youth, so the doctor may remind him of them and say that medical intervention is not a sign of old age.
To help Mr. Jones, the doctor may try to gently convince him that both children and adults do treatments and surgeries. Health and comfort are more important than age, and it is there and not age’s absence that can hinder love. Also, the doctor may say that walking with a cane is a modern fashion. A cane is an accessory, an addition to an image that will make him more intelligent in the eyes of other people. Reminding of the joy of movement and saying that the pain will only worsen is also the right decision for a doctor to persuade Mr. Jones.
References
Pfeifer, G. M. (2015). What’s old is new again. Stats on older Americans. The American Journal of Nursing, 115, p. 15.
Tabloski, P. (2014). Gerontological nursing. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Health Science.