Title: Communicating with Older Adults
1Communicatingwith Older Adults
2What is Communication?
- Communication is the act or reciprocal process
of imparting or interchanging thoughts,
attitudes, emotions, opinions, or information by
speech, writing, or signs (Antai-Otong,
2006, p.2).
3Facing our Future
Older Adults are living longer and experience new
challenges associated with aging. These
challenges include dealing with significant
losses such as the loss of a spouse or companion
as well as friends, the loss of their home as
they can no longer maintain the upkeep, the loss
of independence as daily activites become harder
to complete.
- Communication can become more difficult in the
aging process - As life expectancy rises more and more health
care professionals will be working with the
elderly - Deterioration in sensory and perceptual processes
affect the ability to communication - Loss of sight leads to an inability to interpret
outside stimuli contributing to fear and
uncertainty in the older adult - Childhood experiences shape an individuals coping
skills. As an older adult this client may have
difficulities expressing feelings and
communicating with health care professinals. -
- (Antai-Otong, 2006)
4Barriers to Effective Communication with Older
Adults
- Stereotyping and Elderspeak
- Lack of appreciation for lifelong experiences
- and meaningfulness in life
- Hurried unconcerned approach
- Sense of hopelessness
- Age related changes
- (Loss of hearing and sight)
- Illnesses and diseases contributing to cognitive
impairment - (Antai-Otong, 2006)
5Barriers to Communicating
Illnesses and diseases affecting communication
- Dementia
- Alzheimers
- Stroke
- Delirium
- Depression
- (Antai-Otong, 2006, Williams Davis, 2005).
6Communication Strategies
- Use short, simple vocabulary
- Use concrete content
- Use hand gestures
- Listen to the patients historical
- narrative as time permits
- Speak slowly and clearly
- Keep a pleasant voice tone
- Using closed-ended questions
- Recognize intergeneration differences
- Respect patients point of view
7Communication Strategies
- Use tools to aid in communication writing board
- Speak loud but refrain from yelling
- Use short explanations
- Use one step instructions
- Allow time for responses
- Allow additional time for teaching about
- procedures, surgeries and medications
8Communication Strategies
- Be patient and respectful in order to establish a
meaningful and trusting relationship - Listen to their stories to identify fears and
anxieties
- Establish a relationship with family or caregiver
to obtain additional information regarding health
status, personal needs, support systems etc.
(Antai-Otong,
2006 Sheldon, 2004)
9Communication Strategies
- Paying attention to detail, having patience and
being respectful will lead to the establishment
of a meaningful and trusting relationship - Listen to their stories to possibly uncover
present experiences, fears and anxieties - Maintain or establish relationship with family or
caregiver to obtain additional information
regarding health status, personal needs, support
systems etc.
(Antai-Otong, 2006 Sheldon, 2004) -
10Storytelling
- Through storytelling, the familys legacy and
uniqueness are communicated to the next
generation. This unique style of communication
also helps the nurse gain insight into the
heritage, perspectives, and life experiences of
diverse cultures. It helps clients from various
cultures to cope with serious illness.
Encouraging storytelling conveys respect and
appreciation of the older adults life
experiences, health practices, and contributions
to society. Embracing the distinctiveness of
older adults is crucial to helping them maintain
their spirituality and hope through therapeutic
and healing communication - (Antai-Otong, 2006, p.89).
11- Strategy
- Simplify your message
- Use common words and short sentences
- Ask one question at a time
- Accept the clients message
- Allow extra time
- If there is no response, try repeating the
message - or use different words and gestures
- Break tasks down into simple steps
- Give instructions one step at a time
- Avoid the use of pronouns
- Repeat names so that your message is clear
- Explanation
- Aphasia limits the persons ability to understand
- complex verbal messages
- Persons with dementia may confuse the date or use
- one word and mean another. By avoiding
correcting - mistakes, the nurse demonstrates supportiveness
- Cognitive impairment slows comprehension, wait
for a - response.
- Cognitive impairment interferes with remembering
- multiple steps
- Cognitive impairment interferes with remembering
the - word or name to which the pronoun refers
12Maximizing Communication
- Loss of Hearing
- Find out what method your patient prefers
- hearing aid, sign language, writing words down
- Help patient use hearing aids and assess
- effectiveness of aids
- Speak in moderate, even tones
- Stand face to face when talking with the patient
- (Sheldon, 2004)
13Loss of Sight
- Let your patient know you have entered the room
and introduce yourself - Describe the surroundings, including furniture
location and steps or changes in terrain ahead of
time
- Allow the patient to hold your arm for support
when ambulating around new environments - Explain procedures ahead of time
- Describe what you are doing when you are with the
patient - Tell the patient when you are leaving the room
- (Sheldon, 2004)
14References
- Antai-Otong, D. (2006). Nurse-client
communication a life span approach. Sudbury,
Massachusetts Jones and Bartlett Publishers. - Sheldon, L. K. (2004). Communication for nurses
talking with patients. Thorofare, NJ Slack
Incorporated. - Williams, C. Davis, C. (2005). Therapeutic
interaction in nursing. Sudbury, Massachusetts
Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
15The End