Language in the elderly - pathology or normality?

Elderly people are subject to many stereotypes; one of the most common being that functional abilities automatically deteriorate with age. Communication is one of these. It is a frequent complaint that elderly people are difficult to talk to, and the elderly themselves commonly complain that other people are difficult to communicate with, for example general practitioners. Elderly people with communication problems are frequently not referred to speech therapy because it is assumed that their problems are due to old age and therefore unlikely to benefit from treatment.