Are the over 70’s being admitted / treated?

[Goatymcgoaty]

I just wondered what the reality is, having heard so many rumours about older people being left in their own homes and not admitted due to their age. I get that for some older people with co-morbities it might be the best clinical and personal option for them. But what about the over 70’s, with or without preexisting conditions, that stand a reasonably good chance of recovery?

I have a 78 year old parent who lives alone, has a preexisting condition but is pretty strong and active for age. I’d just like to know if it came to it, whether I should consider fighting to get parent admitted. Scared he’d be written off purely on age. Anyone here that’s on the ground and knows what’s actually happening with older patients with the virus?

[Porcupineinwaiting]

Many over 70s are admitted, if they are sick enough. Your issue is how will you know how sick he is?

[Babdoc]

When I was admitted to my local Covid unit at a large Scottish hospital, the patient in the next isolation cubicle was in her 90’s.
She survived to be discharged, and was even reported in the national newspapers.

[tobermoryisthebestwomble]

Anybody who is sick enough to come to hospital is treated in the hospital where I work. We are not short on beds, itu beds or ventilators at the moment. I don't know what the current experience is of trying to access health treatment through 111 or GPs, but if your father came to hospital we would treat him the same as always. The concerning reports of people being denied treatment based on age or comorbidities have not come to pass, and those ethical decisions would be taken only in time of extreme pressure where the NHS did not have the resource to treat everyone.

[Goatymcgoaty]

Well no guarantee i’d be able to tell how sick someone is. i do have a thermometer and oximeter though. If someone is so ill they can’t hardly talk, crawling to the bathroom etc, I’d like to think I could mediate on their behalf for treatment, if the nhs gatekeepers fobbed them off.

[Incontinencesucks]

Experience of two 90 plus year olds going in, both who are high risk. They were treated fine. I think it's only if the NHS gets to breaking point that triage will come into it. So it's good to keep distancing to spread the strain.

[DaisylovesDonald]

We know that they are because you see in the news people who are in their 90’s and have managed to recover from it, and are being wheeled out of hospital.

[Aragog]

My nana is in her 90s. She's currently ill in hospital. She was taken in a week or so ago and tested for CV19. It came back negative but she is still in hospital being treated for an infection and a pneumonia too. Second CV19 test done a couple of days ago was also negative.

So yes, over 70s are being admitted for both Covid and non Covid medical reasons.