BACKGROUND: Little is known of the nature and origins of the attitudes that older people have towards ageing, disease, and medical treatments. Several studies on older people in the community have suggested under-reporting of symptoms. There may be several reasons for this, including the possibility that some older people regard disease processes as a natural feature of ageing and, consequently, feel that medical intervention may have little to offer. AIM: To investigate the perceptions of older people about the significance of symptoms and what action they would take in response to particular symptoms. METHOD: Thirty-three men and 77 women attending social clubs (median age 78 years) were opportunistically selected and assessed using a supervised questionnaire. RESULTS: Many symptoms classically associated with common diseases were often considered to represent disease as well as to be normal for old people. Most would consult a doctor if they were to experience them. Some important symptoms, such as blackouts or paralysis of a limb, were not considered to be normal. Non-specific symptoms of psychiatric disturbances were also frequently considered normal but were not considered to represent disease. Whether or not a doctor would be consulted was often, but not always, related to whether a symptom was thought to represent a disease. Consulting a pharmacist was seldom considered appropriate. CONCLUSIONS: Doctors working with elderly people need to consider how beliefs about health and disease might affect what is reported to them. Specific enquiry needs to be made about symptoms of psychiatric disturbances. These findings suggest that there is a case for increased health education at retirement age.
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