It’s "a shameful display of ageism and ignorance," said Donald Jurivich, Eva Gilbertson Distinguished Professor of Geriatrics and Chairman of Geriatrics at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences.
The word "senile" may create a mental picture of someone who has stooped posture, is slow moving and cognitively impaired, Jurivich said. "I don't think any of these descriptors match Joe Biden's demeanor and vigor," he said.
From a geriatrician's perspective, Jurivich said, "the use of ‘senile’ is a pejorative descriptor and reflects unmitigated ageism."
In December 2019, Biden’s primary care physician, at Biden’s request, issued a summary of his medical and surgical history. "Vice president Biden is a healthy, vigorous, 77-year-old male, who is fit to successfully execute the duties of the presidency, to include those as chief executive, head of state and commander in chief," wrote Kevin C. O’Connor, Biden’s doctor since 2009 and director of executive medicine at The GW Medical Faculty Associates.
