Keep them waiting

Of late I have been accompanying an older aunt to many doctor’s visits. At each of these offices we wait rather incredibly long times. I have been to one office with her three times and the earliest she has seen her doctor is ninety minutes late, once two and a half hours late and never an apology. Sitting in the waiting room, it is obvious that the vast majority of the patients are elderly. Surely, it cannot be a coincidence that it is an elderly client that is being kept waiting. Is it assumed that they have nothing else better to do than read out of date magazines? I see a variety of doctors and have never been kept waiting that long. Doctors are often late, but rarely by more that fifteen minutes or so and never without an apology. Is it because the medical staffs know that the elderly loathe to change doctors? Is it because Medicare pays too little? I assume that they do not mean to be insulting, but they are.