Patient-practioner age difference?

[Richard]

Hi,

I initially though that special counselling skills would be required when working with patients.

However my personal experience plus observations of others indicates to me that the patient-practioner age difference is also key.

I am 51 and my patients are usually quite a lot older - but we are almost of the same generation which seems to make a huge difference.

Any amount of professional counselling-speak coming from a practioner in their 20s or 30s seems to treated with disdain and/or suspicion by many elderley patients.

Is this a profession where one's age is of major benefit - unlike most careers nowadays?

Or do YOU find that being a young practioner is NOT a hindrance? If so, what is your approach?

Just wondering

regards,

Richard

[VickiK]

It suddenly struck me one day how long it had been since an elderly patient had said 'are you old enough to be qualified dear' to me. I guess it does make a difference to them! And now I'm feeling old.....

[Ali]

It suddenly struck me one day how long it had been since an elderly patient had said 'are you old enough to be qualified dear' to me. I guess it does make a difference to them! And now I'm feeling old.....

But, being more serious, this type of thing is quite common. It tends to vary based upon many factors, including: education, socioeconomic status and even cultural bacground.

[Barber]

Old post I know, but I have to contribute!

I am 30 and have been working for 6 months so I am very new to the field, but in that short time I have never come across any 'older person' who has treated me with any kind of distain when they meet me face to face and get involved in a discussion.

I think that it has a lot to do with the individual audiologist and their passion for the topic, but you must also get the job done!

When it comes to counselling and talking a new client through the in’s and out’s, one thing sticks in my head..
Before = Counselling
After = Excuses

[glitterstar18]

Again old post, but need to reply too!

I'm 21 and have been working in audiology for 2 years now and have recently qualified.
Most patients don't have a problem with my age, but I have had patients refuse to see me before they've even come in the room because they don't think I know what I'm talking about. Most people can be talked round, but it doesn't encourage you to try with that attitude! I work in a fairly youngish dept, and other people have had similar experiences (being referred to as "little girl", being asked if their old enough to do this alone etc).
There are also trainees who are older than me, but they don't seem to get the same kind of treatment, despite still being in training.

[Gillian Carron]

Continuing the theme of new post to old topic:
I'm (a youngish looking, I hope!!) 33, have been doing Hearing Therapy for 5 and half years and quite a few of my patients have been/are significantly older than me but I've very, very rarely had a problem due to the age gap. I think because I have a hearing impairment myself (total loss left ear, mod-severe loss right ear) they can see that I understand their difficulties with communication - been there, done that, got the t-shirt!!!
Albeit hearing loss is a serious subject and patient's emotions are very raw at times, I try to ensure the patient leaves my room on a positive note and I think this helps the patient overcome any doubts about the difference in age. They don't think, "she's too young to know what's it like to lose your hearing", they're thinking "she knows exactly what I'm talking about".

[Julie Henderson @]

Ive been in Audiology 16 years and still find some patients lack confidence in my ability due to my age. They often relax as the appointment progresses when they realise I know what Im talking about.
Everyone makes judgements on appearances when first meeting people, surely its how we behave that confirms their view or not.

[ACBC]

Not a day has ended with atleast one patient asking ''So how old are you?'' or ''So how long have you been doing this''.....

I too feel that once we get started with the session, patients relax and get more comfortable and listen what we have got to say.
In my personal experience when I have talked to them, for instance about the problems they face in relation to their hearing loss, they often go ''You are right'' or ''Yes now that you put it that way, it does makes sense''.
But I must admit I do get the odd patient going ''What do you know about being old with hearing problems'' or ''You dont have a hearing aid, you dont know what I have go through'' etc

However most of them accept our counselling and take us seriously (hopefully!!)
But like Julie says

Everyone makes judgements on appearances when first meeting people, surely its how we behave that confirms their view or not.

[RG1]

I don't agree that someone in their 50s will have an easier relationship with patients than people in their 20s and 30s just because of their age. I think self-confidence and communication skills play a large part in how the patients assess your competence.

I'm not just speaking from my own clinical experience (12 years) but also regular observation of trainees and qualified staff in clinic. (Please note that I'm about to make general observations here and this is not a reflection on the clinical skills of anyone else who's posted on this topic!)
Someone who has all the relevant clinical knowledge but lacks assertiveness can have difficulty instilling confidence in their skills in patients, whereas someone who has self confidence and the gift of the "blarney" can lead a patient to have total faith in something which may be clinically or theoretically incorrect.

At the end of the day you probably see more patients who don't react badly to your age than those that do, and people ask you how long you've been doing the job no matter how old you are - often this is just to make conversation and isn't intended to be personal (although I could be thick-skinned! ).

You could try making your body language more assertive (but don't overcompensate by being aggressive and terrifying the poor patient!). Your appearance can also make a difference to how people see you, so it's important to dress professionally.

Oh to have so few wrinkles and worry-lines that someone thought I was too young for the job!

[Deon @]

When I first started to practice (16 years ago ), I was a bit worried about working with children and their parents as I have no children of my own.
We offered early newborn hearing screening, as well as sedated ABR for difficult to test kids. I was also a member of the Child Development Assemssment Team, which is a multi-disciplinary team for assessing and (re)habilitating special needs children.

One of my professors taught us that this (age or lack of being a parent when working with kids) does not matter. What matters is what you know as a professional and how you treat the patient and their family members. I have always carried this as a reminder that I do have the training and skills necessary to help the patient. How I handle myself in relation to the situation at hand was what gained the respect and cooperation from my patients, young and old alike.

~Deon

[Canna_Lily @]

I am in my third year on the B.Sc. course and now don't generally get much of a problem with that sort of thing, I have more confidence in myself now that i know what i am talking about when i am performing a fitting appointment for example. I do think that how you project yourself as a professional is going to be key in how a patient is going to recieve you, and treat you.
In my first year when i had come in to this field, frankly not knowing much about it at all i found that if i was doing a repair at placement the patient tended to talk to and look at the audiologist i was with rather than at me even though it was me who was the one supposedly "in the driving seat" in that appointment. A few weeks ago however i was on an ENT clinic with my department manager where i was again "in the driving seat" and at the end of it she commented to me that the patient did not once look to her or address their comments to her over me even though i had introduced myself as a student and her as chief audiologist. I must have come on a bit in my time on the course.!!

[Captain_Otostop]

Personally I have never had anyone treat me differently because of my age or ask me how old I am.

I think it has more to do with how confident you are. If you greet the patient and go about your work with confidence then regardless of your age the patient has more belief that you know what you are talking about.

[lux]

Personally I have never had anyone treat me differently because of my age or ask me how old I am.

I think it has more to do with how confident you are. If you greet the patient and go about your work with confidence then regardless of your age the patient has more belief that you know what you are talking about.

I agree. I found that as I grew in confidence, pt has stopped asking me about my age. Now after I have graduated, no one has asked about my age yet.

[BHudson]

I agree with the comments made by earlier by RG1. Patients will react to the way in which you present information and your professionalism. Listening to their account of their problem and showing that you understand why they are concerned and frustrated gives them assurance that you can help them.

[Gephaudio]

Many, many years ago I found patents telling me I was 'very young' to do this job.
Now 20 years later I now find patients empathising with me, due to a rapidly diminishing age gap!