The ageing intensivist and global medical politics

Abstract

As one ages it becomes easy to sympathize with those who forget to replace the petrol cap and easy also to read the maxim above and understand why older individuals are viewed with a critical eye in respect of responsibilities for diffi cult decisions. Associating, as cause and effect, problems and the fact of ageing is, however, not as simple as a maxim that generalizes human behaviour. Also even though there is deterioration with age, it is not clear whether problems generated by the hubris of youth are any less of a problem. Experience leads one to beware of certain situations [ 1 ] that a more youthful individual would tackle without due thought. Also there are a number of other reasons why performance should fail other than age in particular dependency on alcohol or other drugs. The problem then is deteriorating performance rather than, specifi cally, age and how society should deal with the underperforming clinician.