Blog Post 3: The Medicalization of Aging
By Tammara A. Beach
Reading Chapter 4 in both Overmedicating Old Americans by Cruikshank and Elderhood by Aronson made me think differently about how we treat older adults in this country, especially when it comes to medication. I knew that older adults often take more medications, but I was honestly shocked to learn just how heavily medicated they are, especially older women. What surprised me most was how automatic it seems for doctors to prescribe medication as a quick fix, without always looking at the bigger picture. It made me wonder, are we treating symptoms or just trying to control aging?
Cruikshank goes into detail about how our bodies naturally change as we age, and how those changes affect the way medications work. She explains that things like slower metabolism, reduced kidney and liver function, and changes in body fat can make standard doses dangerous for older people. Her solutions, like reviewing meds regularly and trying alternative approaches, really made sense to me. It was eye-opening to realize that some of the things I worry about when it comes to getting older like losing independence or becoming dependent on medicine might not be about aging itself, but how our systems respond to aging.
Aronson’s chapter gave me another angle to think about. She really dives into the role of doctors and how their training often focuses more on science and control than on truly listening to their patients. Her story about Irina, the daughter of Dimitri, really stood out. Irina just wanted clarity and support, but instead she got vague answers and felt left out of the process. It reminded me how frustrating it can be for families trying to do the right thing when they aren’t fully included in care decisions.
Her section on dementia also hit home. After watching the Memory Loss Tapes earlier in the semester, I appreciated how Aronson pointed out how medical professionals can sometimes talk about people with dementia like they’re no longer fully human. That was hard to read. In contrast, the documentary reminded us that people with memory loss still have personalities, preferences, and feelings. Aronson’s frustration with the cold, clinical language used at the dementia conference really stuck with me. It reminded me how powerful language is in shaping how we view older adults not just as patients, but as people.
One of the most powerful moments in the reading was the example of Gabow’s mother. Instead of just giving her more pills, her care team used structure, routine, and support to help her thrive. That story really made me hopeful. It was a real-life example of what Cruikshank was talking about how we can care for older adults in a way that supports their independence and respects who they are. What made the biggest impact on me was how simple and human that care approach was. No fancy medications, just patience, planning, and support.
Overall, these chapters made me think hard about how I want to approach aging, not just in my future career as a social worker, but in my own life and relationships. Aging is natural. It doesn’t need to be feared or “fixed.” It needs to be respected, understood, and supported with care that sees the full person, not just a list of symptoms.
Tammara,
You did a pretty good job on this post in view of the fact that you were trying to finish up everything at the end of the semester. Just a couple of things that suggest you aren’t totally in sync with the readings. First, Irvin’s and the discussion of Dimitri is about a drug cascade event, not about lack of involvement of the daughter in his treatment. And second, the issue with Gabon was that her mother had a broken hip and she choose to take her home for in home treatment instead of surgery. These were much more significant situations than you describe. Maybe just a bit fast trying to make up the work in the amount of time you had left.
Dr P