Communication with the Elderly

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 Communication with Elderly
Outline:
 Definition of communication
 Types of communication
 Ways of communication
 Factors affecting communication
 Barriers of communication
 How to communicate with elderly
person
 How to communicate with elderly
person with sensory deficit
 Communication with Alzheimer
patient

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 Introduction
The communication process in general is
complex and can be further complicated by age.
One of the biggest problems when dealing with
older patients is that they are actually more
heterogeneous than younger people.
Communication can also be hindered by the
normal aging process, which may involve sensory
loss, decline in memory, slower processing of
information, lessening of power & influence over
their own lives, retirement from work, &
separation from family & friends.
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 Definition:
Is the activity of conveying meaningful
information.
Communication requires a sender, a message,
& an intended recipient, although the receiver
need not be present or aware of the sender's
intent to communicate at the time of
communication.
The communication process is complete once
the receiver has understood the message of the
sender.
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 Elements of communication process
 Sender :
Is the communicator who has the responsibility to
convey actions, words & feeling. Facial expression
& body language convey the same message .

 Massage :

The information conveyed by the sender. the

receiver change the massage back into feeling &
mental image, massage should be clear & in familiar
terms to the receiver and being understood .
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 Receiver :
Is the individual who listen and interpret the
massage. The receiver understanding is
depend on mental function & interpretation
ability .
 Feedback :
Enable the sender to determine whether the
massage was correctly interpreted simply
by the receiver. Restate the massage is a
type of feedback, sender ask question that
allow the receiver for clarification . 6
 Factors influencing communication
Personal factors:
 Perception : A person perception is essential
element in communication. People can see the
same object and see different things.
 Values : values influence the process of
communication because people values , like their
perception .
 Culture : Each culture provide its member
notion about how the world is structured and
teach people how to use language , space to
communicate certain massage and technique that
differ from culture to culture. 7
Attitude: A nurse attitude toward the elderly play a
major role as elderly need to be respected & feeling
valued so the nurse should convey trust & empathy
through verbal & non verbal communication .
Trust: Trust is central to a therapeutic nurse -
relationship . without a sense of trust the interaction
is superficial, trust implies confidence,
dependability & credibility in a relationship .
Environmental factors :
Seating arrangement, room comfort, movement of
chairs, object that facilitate or distract, noise, lack of
privacy.
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 Types of communication
The two type of communication are verbal
& non verbal. 10% of all communication is
verbal & 90% is nonverbal .

Verbal communication :
It is the use of words to express thoughts,
feeling, attitude. When communicating with
older adult feedback is essential to explore
thoughts of the older adults and ask for more
explanations .
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Informing : Use direct statement regarding facts ,
a good information statement is clear , concise ,and
expresses in words that elderly can understand.

Direct questioning : Are helpful when the nurse

need to obtain specific information, is appropriate
when information must obtained quickly .

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Open ended technique : Allows the person to
express more about their feeling and perception also
allow the nurse to verify that the information
exchanged is accurate

Active listening : The nurse pays attention to verbal

and nonverbal communication using eye contact and
facial expression

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Nonverbal communication :
The most accurate form of communication,
is the way of communication without the
use of words people use their facial
expression, eye contact, gesture and body
language .

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 Barriers to communication
• Noise
• Inappropriate medium
• Emotions
• Language differences
• Poor listening skills
• Distractions
 Effective communication
 Be aware of the person's
health issues.
 Respect the elderly person’s
background, knowledge, &
values.
 Be attentive to the
environment in which you
are communicating

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 Effective communication
 Speak clearly & articulately,
& make eye contact.
 Adjust your volume
appropriately
 Use clear questions &
sentences
 Employ visual aids, if
possible.
 Take it slow, be patient, &
smile.
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 Communicating with the hearing
impaired
 Check to see if the hearing aid is in the
person’s ear. Also check to see that it is
turned on.
 Wait until you are directly in front of the
person, you have that individual’s
attention and you are close enough to the
person before you begin speaking.
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 Communicating with the hearing
impaired
 Be sure that the individual sees you
approach
 Face the hard-of-hearing person directly
and be on the same level with him/her
whenever possible.
 Keep your hands away from your face
while talking.

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 Recognize that hard-of-hearing people hear
and understand less well when they are tired
or ill.
 Reduce or eliminate background noise as
much as possible .
 Speak in a normal fashion without shouting.

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 If the person has difficulty understanding
something, find a different way of saying the
same thing, rather than repeating the original
words.
 Use simple, short sentences to make your
conversation easier to understand.
 Write messages if necessary.

 Allow time to converse with a hearing

impaired person.

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 Communicating with the deaf.
 Write messages if the person can read.
 Use a pictogram grid or other device
with illustrations to facilitate
communication.
 Be concise with your statements and
questions.
 Utilize as many other methods of
communication as possible to convey
your message (i.e. body language).
 Spend time with the person, so you
are not rushed or under pressure.
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 Communicating with the visually
impaired.
 Describe the room layout, other people who are in the
room, and what is happening.
 Tell the person if you are leaving. Let him/her know if
others will remain in the room or if he/she will be alone.
 Allow the person to take your arm for guidance.

 Ask how you may help: increasing the light, reading the
menu, describing where things are, or in some other way.
 Call out the person’s name before touching. Touching
lets a person know that you are listening.

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 Allow the person to touch you.
 Use the words "see" and "look" normally.

 Use large movement, wide gestures and contrasting

colors.
 Explain what you are doing as you are doing it, for
example, looking for something or putting the
wheelchair away.
 Describe walks in routine places. Use sound and smell
clues.
 Encourage familiarity and independence whenever
possible.
 Leave things where they are unless the person asks you
to move something.
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 Communicating with persons with
Alzheimer’s Disease
 Always approach the person from the
front, or within his/her line of vision .
 Speak in a normal tone of voice .

 Face the person as you talk to him/her.

 Avoid a setting with a lot of sensory

stimulation, like a big room where
many people may be sitting or talking,
a high-traffic area or a very noisy
place.

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 Maintain eye contact and smile.
 Be respectful of the person’s .
 Use a low-pitched, slow speaking voice which older adults
hear best.
 Ask only one question at a time. More than one question will
increase confusion.
 Repeat key words if the person does not understand the first
time around.
 Nod and smile only if what the person said is understood.

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Thank you

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