A chara, – I know that the potential damage caused to some of us older people by the obfuscation and paternalism surrounding the order to cocoon pales into insignificance beside the pain and grief suffered by many individuals and sectors of society. Nevertheless, it was wonderful to read William Reville's wise and erudite piece "Blanket cocooning for over-70s has done more harm than good" (Science, May 21st).
“Cocooning” advice could so easily have been strongly and sensitively offered, without breaching the Equal Status Act. I am quite certain it would have been just as carefully followed where necessary, without the sense of powerlessness and discrimination which the language used in its introduction inevitably caused. – Yours, etc,
MARY RYAN,
Glanworth,
Co Cork.