| Caring for and having positive relationships with seniors requires communicating effectively with them. Here are some tips to help you communicate well with your elderly family members. Show
1. Empathise and develop mutual understanding When communicating with your loved one, it’s important to try to understand each other better and work towards mutual understanding. Having an open mind and remembering to empathise can go a long way in this process. Respect their perspectives, opinions and feelings and understand their point of view by putting yourself in their shoes.
Sometimes, it can be easy to lose patience and become frustrated with the elderly if they are slow, forgetful or needy. If you do run out of patience, always take a time out and talk to them when you’re in a calmer state of mind.
2. Be considerate when speaking The elderly may have different communication needs depending on their health conditions and surrounding environment.
Speed and tone: Adjust the speed and tone of your speech according to the elderly’s need. For instance, talk to those with dementia at a slower pace and talk louder to those with hearing problems. At times, the elderly may need you to repeat your statement several times. Slow down when repeating to help them to catch what they may have missed previously.
An appropriate tone also conveys patience and understanding, while being stern may cause your loved one to feel wronged or scolded.
Sit face to face: Some seniors may suffer from hearing loss. Sitting in front of them enables them to read your lips, facial expressions and gestures and receive the information more clearly. Maintaining eye contact also creates a more comfortable and trusting atmosphere.
Choice of words: The elderly may not be familiar with some of the terms we use. Try to use words that are familiar, or use simple words to convey the same meaning. For instance, use ‘take one fruit after each meal’ instead of ‘take more fibre’. Also, try to avoid long, complicated sentences as information overload can confuse the elderly.
Appropriate questioning: Sometimes your loved one may not fully understand what you are saying. If so, try simplifying the topic before asking leading, close-ended questions to understand their perspective. Having them answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’ in those situations is easier than asking them what they think.
3. Listen, don’t just hear There’s a difference between hearing your loved one and listening to him/her. Listening requires active concentration in interpreting what the other person is saying while hearing is a passive intake of any surrounding sounds.
When communicating with your loved one, they could be trying to share their desires or needs with you. We need to actively listen as these may not always be said directly or explicitly. Avoid dominating the conversation and give them a chance to talk and express themselves.
4. Be aware of non-verbal communication Non-verbal communication makes up the bulk of the communication process as our facial expressions and gestures convey our attitudes. Eye contact, nods and some physical contact can communicate attention, patience and understanding. However, being distracted with your phone or other things around you can convey disinterest and apathy. Remember to keep an open, kind and respectful attitude when speaking with your loved one.
5. Be respectful Most elderly want to feel respected and maintain control of their life. You can validate their needs by asking them questions and offering them options instead of ordering them on what to do. This can be as simple as giving them options on what to eat, instead of directing them on what they should eat.
Download the Carer app and use it to hire an experienced nurse or care aide, or call us to find out more. You can also read more tips on the Carer app. The question of how to communicate effectively has persisted in healthcare for years. Communication has long been recognized as a complex process that is prone to errors, oversights, and misunderstandings. In terms of patient safety and malpractice risk, the implications of inadequate or poor communication are substantial. In 2018, CRICO Strategies released a report that presented the results from an analysis of almost 124,000 medical professional liability cases filed between 2007 and 2016. CRICO’s data showed that communication issues, which were found in all care settings, were one of the top contributing factors in malpractice cases.1 An earlier CRICO report found that 37 percent of all high-severity cases involved a communication failure.2 Although communication is a challenge in all facets of healthcare — from small medical practices to large healthcare systems — senior care organizations face unique communication hurdles due to their resident populations. Healthcare providers and staff members who work in senior care facilities face unique communication challenges in caring for the aging population. These challenges call for strategies that promote respect and empathy, address physical and cognitive impairments, and help preserve residents’ dignity and autonomy as much as possible. For information about communicating with senior care residents who have dementia, see MedPro’s article The Human Factor: Person-Centered Strategies for Senior Care Residents Who Have Dementia. What is the best method to interacting with elderly patients?Listen without interrupting the patient. Speak slowly, clearly and loudly. Use short, simple words and sentences. Stick to one topic at a time.
What is the best way to talk to elder people?Slower and deeper speech is easier for seniors to understand, but you don't have to use infantile language when you communicate with seniors. Sometimes, people speak in a higher-pitched voice when talking to aging adults, which only makes it more difficult for them to hear the words clearly.
Why Good communication is important for elderly?In fact, studies have shown that seniors who regularly communicate with others in their family or in their community are generally healthier and happier – and experience lower rates of chronic illness, less anxiety and depression, better cognitive health, improved mobility, and even increased longevity.
What are 4 ways to communicate effectively?There are specific things to do that can improve your communication skills:. Listen, listen, and listen. ... . Who you are talking to matters. ... . Body language matters. ... . Check your message before you hit send. ... . Be brief, yet specific. ... . Write things down. ... . Sometimes it's better to pick up the phone. ... . Think before you speak.. |
