Did you know more than 100,000 people in Australia live with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, collectively known as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)?

Seniors are often not getting the resources and support the need, and in some cases are living with undiagnosed IBD.

It’s a disease often associated with children and young people but this Crohn’s and colitis Awareness Month it’s worth noting that by 2030 one third of people with IBD will be aged 60 or over.

Crohn’s and Colitis Australia (CCA) is urging older people to be more insistent with their doctors to ensure they are effectively diagnosed and treated.

The association says there’s a worrying gap in knowledge and support for those with the diseases.

While there is no identified cause or cure, new treatments are available and diagnosis methods have changed significantly in recent years.

When it comes to treatment, the main goal is to reduce inflammation and symptoms. The good news is that research has led to more treatment options in both medication and diet. In some cases, however, Crohn’s disease complications may have to be treated with surgery.

More information about treatment is available on the CCA website.

The impact of the disease on older people was revealed through recent Royal Australian College of Physicians research, which found those with IBD were less likely to experience steroid-free remission, be prescribed biologics, or have a specialist IBD nursing contact and/or a multidisciplinary IBD team.

This lack of support within the medical sector makes living with IBD much more disruptive and painful, and much less manageable.

Seniors are advised they should insist on further exploration when it comes to their diagnosis and treatment.

CCA chief executive Leanne Raven says, “Our health system needs to step up with a real focus on personalised care across the lifespan for people living fearlessly with complex chronic conditions.

“Older people deserve to have the best care available wherever they live, it should be integrated and inclusive of nurses within a multidisciplinary team”.

CCA recently interviewed two older Australians, Jan and Tony, living with IBD to gain more insight into their experience of the disease and the process of getting a diagnosis.

Both Jan and Tony were diagnosed later in life following a lifetime of illness. Three years ago, when the pandemic hit, Tony’s circumstances meant that managing his Crohn’s became crucial.

Working as a professional entertainer meant that he was out of a job, which he says really taught him to deal with stress.

Jan was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in her late 50s. She says that finally receiving a formal diagnosis has made a huge difference to her life.

“The pain has become better since the diagnosis. Just knowing exactly what’s causing the pain makes it much easier to deal with and I’m now in a position where I can develop more informed and effective strategies for coping. New medication has also made a difference.

“How helpful it would have been 70 years ago to have received definitive diagnoses of these conditions. My hope is that no one will now need to live so long with undiagnosed IBD and that better diagnostic methods and treatments will continue to be reflected in the lives of those suffering with this disease.”