As reported by The Telegraph, a former advisor to the British government on elderly affairs, Professor David Oliver, said many seniors have minor age-related ailments that are treatable, but many doctors and medical professionals are often misdiagnosing small issues as the ‘acopia’ disease, which means ‘failure to cope.’
“Writing ‘acopia’ is basically saying ‘We’re not going to make a proper diagnosis. There’s that subconscious decision-making,” Oliver, a former National Clinical Director for Older People, was quoted as saying. He added that many seniors, who are otherwise healthy, were moved into nursing care homes unnecessarily.
Additionally, Oliver has argued that many health professionals also frequently miss serious health problems such as Parkinson’s Disease and heart disease.
The primary reason for such misdiagnoses, Oliver said, is primarily due to tight time-frames which often have patients seen by doctors too briefly.
At the same time, Oliver said many seniors do not demand top-quality care from their primary health professionals, and instead settle for sub-par treatment and diagnosis.
“Often older people themselves in this country will be saying, ‘Not at my time of life doctor’, or ‘I don’t want to bother you doctor,” Oliver said.