Speak louder, if necessary, but do not shout. Make sure to enunciate clearly and avoid mumbling and talking too quickly. Focus on one idea at a time, and keep sentences short and simple. If your loved one still isn't grasping what you are saying, try phrasing it differently and using different words.
What must be considered when communicating verbally with an elderly patient?
Talk slowly and clearly in a normal tone. Shouting or speaking in a raised voice actually distorts language sounds and can give the impression of anger. Avoid using a high-pitched voice; it is hard to hear. Face the person directly, at eye level, so that he or she can lip-read or pick up visual clues.
What are the common barriers to communication in elderly?
Patient related factors are such as hearing deficit, being tired, mistrust, and memory problem and nurse related factors such as lack of intimacy, formal and insincere attitude has been identified to be barriers for effective communication between nurses and elderly patients [7].
If the person is a family member, you could ask them about events in your family history or about other family members you never had the opportunity to know. If the person is a stranger, you could ask them about their family or what their life was like when they were your age.
Don't push, nag, or harangue your parents. Giving ultimatums will only get their backs up, and yelling, arguing, slamming doors, and so on could seriously damage the relationship. Instead, empower your loved one by making them a part of every decision-making process.
Lack of attention, interest, distractions, or irrelevance to the receiver. (See our page Barriers to Effective Listening for more information). Differences in perception and viewpoint. Physical disabilities such as hearing problems or speech difficulties.
What is the best way to take care of the elderly speaking?
Remain calm and talk in a gentle, matter-of-fact way. Speak louder, if necessary, but do not shout. Make sure to enunciate clearly and avoid mumbling and talking too quickly. Focus on one idea at a time, and keep sentences short and simple.
Normal aging causes many changes to occur that can affect speech. As we age, our muscles become weaker, and this includes muscles in the throat and jaw. Along with this, there can be glandular and tissue changes. All of these factors combined can change our speech processes as we age.
Seniors may lose their ability to talk or understand language—a condition known as aphasia—due to ailments like stroke, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease or brain injury. There are many types of aphasia and the severity of symptoms varies from person to person.
Avoid abstract, overly-formal language, colloquialisms, and jargon, which obscure your message more than they serve to impress people. Using stereotypes and generalizations. Speakers who make unqualified generalizations undermine their own clarity and credibility.
These include filtering, selective perception, information overload, emotional disconnects, lack of source familiarity or credibility, workplace gossip, semantics, gender differences, differences in meaning between Sender and Receiver, and biased language. Let's examine each of these barriers.
