Honest Communication Is Important When Caring For The Elderly

One of the hardest things I experienced while caring for others was the constant challenge of keeping all lines of communication open. You not only have to explain things to your elder, but also their family, their friends, and sometimes other health care professionals. Physicians only know what their patient tells them, and sometimes the physician doesn't get all the details they need in order to appropriately treat the patient.

Communicating with the Elderly

When you are talking to your elder, it is extremely important that you are aware of your tone, volume and body language so you won't become offensive. Likewise, it is imperative that you listen to your elder, always. As your elder begins to realize that you truly understand their struggles, communication will begin to flow more freely. This is when you can really help them; sometimes seniors have very specific fears and sometimes they involve family members. This is information you need to be armed with.

Allow your elder's feelings to surface. Don't ever try to control the discussion. Your elder may be experiencing anxiety about a required hospital stay, or a specific test that has been ordered, and they need you to understand those fears and anxieties. Let them know you understand without enforcing their fears. Also stay positive, even when your elder disagrees with you. Remember, they may be argumentative because they are afraid and they just want to be heard. Let them know they are a valuable member of the family, not a burden; and never talk down to them.

General tips for creating a good atmosphere for conversation:

• Sit where you elder asks you to, don't invade their personal space.
• Turn off distractions, tv, radio, etc.
• Give them your complete attention.
  
• Make sure the elder is comfortable.
• Start with chit-chat, explaining to the elder why you are there.
• Ask questions about happy family memories to get them to begin to open up.
• Never exaggerate or use slang when speaking with an elder.
• Talk about positive things, not on their ailments.
• Always communicate at eye level.
• Paraphrasing lets them know you understood what they said.
  

Aging can be an extremely cruel process. As the senior grows older, their choices are becoming more and more limited, they feel isolated, lonely and frustrated. As a caregiver, it's your responsibility to keep them involved in decisions that affect them, from which dress they want to wear to giving them meal choices. Letting them decide gives them a feeling of involvement. This is a good way to improve communication.