"My Treatment Choices"

On arriving at hospital with very high blood pressure, my mother who is a very active 87 year old was given the usual assessments and asked her choice regarding resuscitation.  

Initially she replied she wasn't sure.   My mother is able to be independent, living on her own, cooking her meals, cleaning her house and tending to her garden, the previous day having cut her lawn.   She has the support of her family whenever she needs it and enjoys pottering around the home and garden. After considering her initial response my mother decided that when she was feeling well, life was certainly worth living and she comes from a family that reach an older age than she currently is, she wasn't ready to give up yet so explained to the doctors that she would like to be resuscitated should the need arise.  

Two doctors/consultants from the A& E Department then proceeded to get my mother to change her mind about that, explaining in awful detail what might happen to her in terminology that was totally unnecessary and uncalled for.   To have two doctors/consultants who are supposed to be medical professionals and respectful of my mother's decision yet who tried to impose their decision on her when she was at the hospital without her family present for support is totally unacceptable.  

Looking forward and having a hope is a very positive aspect of my mother's life yet she has been greatly distressed but two "bullies" for want of a better expression!   I regret to say that this isn't the first time an elderly member of my family has been spoken to in this way at a time when they were very poorly.     In a hospital you must certainly be used to dealing with death but don't knock the stuffing out of old folk when they are feeling unwell - treating your elderly patients in this manner outweighs all the good you do with the treatments you provide.   Explaining their condition is one thing but you need to employ a lot more tact, understanding and empathy and don't take hope out of the picture, it is disgraceful.    

I should definitely like to speak to someone regarding this to stop you doing it to other older patients and spare the distress you are causing to them.