4 Ways to Effectively Communicate with Elders

Communicating with your elders is important to lessen the pain and the loneliness they feel, especially those with disabilities or those who are very sick. Aside from assisting them with their chores, we at One Care Companion, we encourage our caregivers to talk to them since we sought that this will uplift their soul and spirit as well as a way for them to express what they really feel and what they want to say. Here are tips to effectively communicate with them:

Listen Well
Since they cannot speak as clearly as how they used to before, it’s better for us to listen well to what they are saying. Encourage them to speak more rather than you do the most of the talking and show it to them that you are interested to listen to them. This will make them more comfy to talk to you.

Be Patient
Since some might have speaking disorders due to health problems like stroke, aphasia, dysarthria due to diseases like Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, etc., it is necessary that you should be patient in understanding them. That’s what we are trained here at home care services in Naples South Florida.

Ask
Instead of opening a topic, ask them. Ask them how they are feeling, what they need, what they want to do, anything. Just remember to never ask questions that are too offensive or that reveals something that saddens them.

Speak slowly
Talking too fast is highly discouraged when talking to elders. We should speak slowly to them like we are talking to children so that they can understand us clearly. Since some of them have listening disorders, it’s hard for them to cope up with the message.

Don’t forget to laugh
Don’t forget to smile at them and make them laugh. Having serious talks is okay, but laughing excretes endorphins, or hormones which make them happy. So make them laugh and always leave a smile on their faces. Remember, laughter is the best medicine. Here at One Care Companion, home care services in Naples South Florida, we bring out happiness to our clients.

In a world where social media use is rampant, we tend to forget our elders and not physically communicating with them. This discourages them from being too close to us, and would rather be alone. Elders want attention. Since they are near their last days, it’s important for us to engage more with them and talk to them physically. They need a companion to be with them in the end. Let One Care Companion, your home care service in Naples South Florida, help you. Call us if you care at 239-658-5266 or visit us at 5130 Roma Street, Ave Maria, Florida 34142.