Hospitals told: don’t call elderly by first name

ELDERLY people should not be referred to by their first names in hospitals because it is “infantilising”, a High Court judge has said.

Mr Justice Hayden, who is based in the Family Division of the High Court in London, outlined his objection when dealing with a case involving an elderly woman yesterday.

He ruled that the woman could not be identified by the media. However, he told lawyers that he wanted her to be referred to in court by her surname with the prefix “Mrs”.

“I profoundly dislike the way hospitals infantilise senior citizens by referring to them by their first name,” he said. “She can be referred to as ‘Mrs …’ at this hearing.”

High Court judges have their own official designation. Their surname should be preceded by “The Honourable Mr/mrs/ms Justice” as a mark of respect.

Responding to the judge’s comments, Dr Anna Dixon, chief executive of the Centre for Ageing Better, said that while it was down to personal preference, society generally had a negative attitude towards ageing.

“It’s important to treat people as people, regardless of their age, and respect the experiences and wisdom that they have gained throughout their lives,” she said. “The ‘doddering dear’ image can be difficult to dispel and is part of the reason why so many people feel negative about getting older.”

Caroline Abrahams, the charity director of Age UK, added: “It’s true that some older people prefer not to be called by their first name and it is certainly a good idea to ask them how they would like to be addressed, which, in my experience, most health and care professionals generally do.”

NHS England did not respond to a request for comment.