Emergency Plan

At doctor’s appointments, I’m one of those people who speaks up and asks questions. I like to think this approach will work in my favor if I wind up in a clinic or emergency room in my 80s or 90s, needing someone who’ll listen and help.

But I’m also worried it won’t.

It’s frightening to learn how often older adults are tuned out, ignored, and deprived of sensible healthcare, because some practitioner thinks age itself is a hopeless disease.

Maybe I should create a new T-shirt and wear it to any later-life medical visits:  

I’M AN INDIVIDUAL, NOT AN AGE

Photo by ginko shi on Pexels