Tips For Communicating With Older Adults

Tips for communicating with older adults 11 Does your loved one seem to ignore what you say half of the time? They might not be ignoring you at all...they might just not be able to hear you! There are some simple things you can do to make sure your message is heard. Common Challenges More than 1/3 of adults over 65 and over half of those over 85 suffer from significant hearing loss. More than 15 million Americans provide unpaid care for a person with Alzheimer's Disease or other dementias. The number of people with cognitive impairment living in the United States is equal to twice the population of New York City. Hearing Memory Cognitive Impairment Loss Loss What you can do to help Try not to shout. Shouting actually makes it more difficult for you to enunciate, making it harder for your loved one to understand you. Communicate face to face. We all rely on lip-reading skills to help us understand what we are hearing. OFF Try to eliminate background nosies. Even small noises like radios, TVs or lawnmowers outside can muffle the sound of your voice, making it harder for your loved one to hear you. home Remember that hearing aids don't always work perfectly. If you find your loved one is having trouble hearing well with their hearing aid or if they have stopped using it entirely, ask questions to find out more. Is it uncomfortable? Is ambient sound interfering with it? Me Slow down and enunciate. Try not to rush through your sentences. You'll be more easily heard by any age. Use visual aids. Don't be afraid to use your hands or point to objects you are referring to as ways of illustrating what you are saying. SOURCES: http://www.chchearing.org/about-hearing-loss/facts-about-hearing-loss, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speech_disorder, http://www.alz.org/downloads/tacts_figures_2012.pdf, http://www.wikihow.com/Communicate-With-Older-Adults lift. simplified caregiving ................ Tips for communicating with older adults 11 Does your loved one seem to ignore what you say half of the time? They might not be ignoring you at all...they might just not be able to hear you! There are some simple things you can do to make sure your message is heard. Common Challenges More than 1/3 of adults over 65 and over half of those over 85 suffer from significant hearing loss. More than 15 million Americans provide unpaid care for a person with Alzheimer's Disease or other dementias. The number of people with cognitive impairment living in the United States is equal to twice the population of New York City. Hearing Memory Cognitive Impairment Loss Loss What you can do to help Try not to shout. Shouting actually makes it more difficult for you to enunciate, making it harder for your loved one to understand you. Communicate face to face. We all rely on lip-reading skills to help us understand what we are hearing. OFF Try to eliminate background nosies. Even small noises like radios, TVs or lawnmowers outside can muffle the sound of your voice, making it harder for your loved one to hear you. home Remember that hearing aids don't always work perfectly. If you find your loved one is having trouble hearing well with their hearing aid or if they have stopped using it entirely, ask questions to find out more. Is it uncomfortable? Is ambient sound interfering with it? Me Slow down and enunciate. Try not to rush through your sentences. You'll be more easily heard by any age. Use visual aids. Don't be afraid to use your hands or point to objects you are referring to as ways of illustrating what you are saying. SOURCES: http://www.chchearing.org/about-hearing-loss/facts-about-hearing-loss, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speech_disorder, http://www.alz.org/downloads/tacts_figures_2012.pdf, http://www.wikihow.com/Communicate-With-Older-Adults lift. simplified caregiving ................