Written by Ruth, 63 years old [Black African].
The occurrence of emotional stress on health and the upward spiral of negative mental well-being is clear during ill health and ageing because our choices in response to life adversities affect psychological and mental well-being. The journey of my health has snowballed during and after the COVID-19 pandemic being diagnosed with Lupus and heart failure coupled with other progressive chronic conditions. This leaves me to visit the hospital four to five times a month for infusions, regular blood tests, x-rays, MRI scans and taking medication as my food, which sometimes I forget and other times difficult to swallow, which makes me pity party and whine.
Talking to some health professionals makes me feel like an idiot, as I don’t know what my body is feeling. In frustration I have pinned this down to lack of understanding and cultural differences which need to be improved among professionals in order to enhance health equity and cultural inclusiveness in practice so they can deliver culturally responsive and race-equity services.
I find that many health professionals do not listen, but rather they put everybody in a one-size-fits-all coat. Health professionals have called me ‘hypochondriac’, ‘lazy’ and ‘somebody who always wanted sick notes.’ Being a retired health professional myself, I was humiliated and felt disgraced to be given such labels by individuals I thought would have better understanding of my plight.
My experience and feelings with health professionals cannot be overemphasised, they delayed my treatment and deteriorated my condition which triggered bad memories whenever I think of it. Being diagnosed with lupus, scleroderma, and pulmonary hypertension has been complex. Thankfully, I met my favourite consultant who referred me to a specialist who later referred me to three other consultants due to the seriousness of the illness.
I was also introduced to an outstanding rheumatologist consultant who was empathetic, a good listener and communicated well. He showed a lot of compassion and worked with his heart; caring is his second nature. Finally, I found somebody who was treating me as a whole person and collaborating with other professionals to start my treatment without wasting any more time.
I would like to show my most profound appreciation by thanking these awesome professionals for treating me like a human being. They allowed me to decide on my treatment; they listened and took my desires into consideration. They were real professionals. Thank you, Consultants KS, BG, and CS. They cooperate, coordinate, and collaborate in their clinical care and practice. Unlike some health professionals who seem to forget that people’s psychological impacts are elevated during ill health and ageing. The intensity and severity of the impact on health in old age results in stress, limitations, vulnerability, and impaired quality of life, especially when you do not envisage or have proper plans in place. I normally call it “a double gunshot in the chest/”. Struggling with ageing alone is hard enough let alone intertwined with ill health.
I strongly believe there is a need for cooperative efforts and collaboration between health professionals and patients to use proper communication skills and understanding to alleviate patient misery, not jargon and terminologies which do not help but bring confusion and aggravate the illness. Knowing and understanding your diagnosis, prognosis, resilience, and medications are the best treatment ever.
The matter of inequalities and communication skills are pivotal and must be addressed among healthcare professionals. Considering everybody is different and their circumstances are different, listening to individual patients will make them feel somebody cares. Patients alone know what is going on in their bodies. Professionals must know they are not just treating people; they are changing lives. In their clinical care and practice it is important that a holistic view is taken when delivering care where issues such as religion, culture, respect, and empathy are considered paramount.