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Illness behavior in the aged. Implications for clinicians
S E Levkoff1, P D Cleary, T Wetle
1Division on Aging, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
|July 1, 1988
Summary
Understanding how older adults perceive and report symptoms is crucial for effective healthcare. This knowledge helps physicians better address the needs of elderly patients with chronic conditions.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Medical Sociology
- Clinical Medicine
Background:
- Elderly individuals often present with atypical disease symptoms.
- Chronic illness experiences can influence symptom perception and reporting in older adults.
- Health perceptions vary among the elderly, impacting healthcare utilization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review evidence on symptom perception and reporting in the elderly.
- To understand how chronic disease and atypical presentations affect symptom recognition.
- To explore the process of seeking medical care among older patients.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of existing evidence.
- Synthesis of research on health perceptions.
- Integration of findings from chronic illness and disease presentation studies.
Main Results:
- Some elderly individuals may deny illness or delay care due to their perceptions.
- Others may overutilize physician visits due to overly negative health perceptions.
- Symptom recognition and reporting are complex processes influenced by multiple factors.
Conclusions:
- A comprehensive understanding of elderly symptom experience is needed for appropriate clinical response.
- Implications for clinicians working with older patients are discussed.
- Improved physician response to elderly patient needs can be achieved through better understanding.
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