If your mental or physical wellbeing has taken a turn for the worse and over-the-counter remedies aren’t effective, it’s essential to consult a healthcare expert about your concerns. For many, this means scheduling a consultation with their GP to discuss their issues, explore treatment options, and access the necessary medications or resources.
However, as not everyone utilises their doctor as they should, one nurse revealed a common reason people visit her. In response to a Reddit thread asking medical professionals what they wish the public understood, she shared: “A lot of GP appointments are elderly people who are attending for a really minor reasons.”
“The elderly person is bored and lonely, and would like something to think about and occupy them. If you’re sat at home with nothing to do all day, then any minor issue is worried about until they feel they need to see a GP about it. They then have something to think about.”
The scarcity of social activities and engagement for older adults has a significant ripple effect. A pharmacist echoed this sentiment, sharing that some elderly patients would call her to discuss fabricated issues simply because they had no one else to talk to during the day.
She recounted: “We have regular callers who just phone because they’re lonely. They pick an issue and repeatedly call about that issue multiple times a week. It’s usually something really minor they’ve fixated on. Sometimes they phone about their children who have medical issues trying to get info.
“There are certain people I’ll phone the GP about and all the receptionists know them by name and exactly who you’re talking about before you even give a DOB.” Recognising the need for more support to help combat loneliness in the elderly, another user said: “I feel lot of the older generation do that with all services.
“There needs to be more social engagement. Lots of older people worked and never had any hobbies. So if they’re single or their partner dies, they get very lonely and depressed. There also less church goers. Going out on a Sunday to church was big social event.”
Echoing similar sentiments, another individual noted: “It’s not just GP surgeries that OAPs access for social contact. I know on the very rare occasion I am in a physical bank there are always older people telling their life story to the tellers. Supermarkets the same.” AgeUK, striving to address the issue of loneliness, offers friendship services where individuals can pair up with an elderly person for conversations over the phone or in person.