When it comes to the vulnerabilities of age, patients deserve sympathetic oversight, not turning a blind eye | Ranjana Srivastava

For every vigorous elderly person, there are many others whose decline could be addressed with a pragmatic approach

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A colleague calls me about an octogenarian patient scheduled for cancer surgery.

That patient has been “cleared” by anaesthetics and the medical team promises “support” but, despite the reassurances, I can see why the surgeon has her doubts. The patient has several health problems that, taken together, amount to significant impairment. For such patients, even small complications can spell big trouble.

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Ranjana Srivastava is an Australian oncologist, award-winning author and Fulbright scholar. Her latest book is called A Better Death

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