If you have an elderly loved one that either lives by themselves and you like to keep an eye on them or who is living in a senior living facility and you want to keep your relationship strong, being able to effectively and reliably communicate with them is going to be of the utmost importance. However, as people age, knowing how to best do this can be a challenge.
If this is something that you’re currently struggling with, here are three tips for staying in communication with your elderly loved ones.
Speak Face-To-Face When Possible
For most elderly people, communication with them is going to be most ideal when it’s done face-to-face.
Especially if your elderly loved one has become hard of hearing with age, speaking with them when they’re not able to see your face can be hard. Being able to effectively understand what you’re saying and hear what you’re meaning can be very difficult if there are other distractions or ambient noise taking place. So to best keep these things to a minimum, speaking face-to-face as often as you’re able to will likely be the most ideal situation. Or, if this isn’t possible, using some form of video call where they can see your face can also help.
Supplement With Written Communication
Unfortunately, being able to get together physically and have an in-person conversation won’t alway be possible when you’re needing to speak with an elderly loved one. So for the times where your elderly loved one won’t be able to see you when you’re trying to communicate with them, using written communication is the next best thing.
With written communication, as long as you’re clear about what you’re saying, there is less of a chance for things to get lost in translation. You’ll be able to see exactly what you’re saying and get your point across to the best of your ability. Additionally, when things are written down and shared in this way, the communication will have a trail so that your elderly loved one can look back on what was said if they’re having a hard time remembering.
Don’t Overcomplicate Things
With modern technology, there are all kinds of ways that people can communicate with one another. And while some of these might work well for you in other situations, when you’re trying to communicate with elderly people, choosing the least complicated option is likely going to be the best choice.
In many cases, if the communication gets too complicated, either in what you’re trying to say or in the mode of communication, the interaction won’t be as effective. So to avoid this, it’s best to not overcomplicate things.
If you want to better stay in communication with your elderly loved one, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you in doing this.
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