Communication with the Elderly Population
Communication with the Elderly Population
Communication with the Elderly Population
When dealing with the public, there are always going to be barriers in communication. Race, sex, and disabilities are just a few examples of the challenges we face every day. In the medical field however, these challenges are magnified and the challenges present themselves in different ways. This is especially true with the elderly population.
Dulled Senses
It is fair to say that when people get older, their senses can become dulled. A very common side effect to getting older is hearing loss. This makes it very difficult to communicate. People with hearing loss will not understand exactly what you are saying and can often misinterpret what they hear. This poses a significant problem when trying to identify why an elderly person is seeking medical attention. It is often possible for the hearing impaired to be slightly self conscious about their disability and pretend to understand what you are telling them. This can lead to false diagnosis, or the administration of medications that the patient might be allergic to. It is very important to identify when a person presents with a hearing impairment and utilize alternate methods of communication. Some examples might be speaking louder and clearly, the use of hand gestures, or writing the questions and answers down for the person. Additionally, one should sit face to face with a hearing impaired person. Whether it is total hearing loss, or the hard of hearing patient, in many cases these people rely on reading another’s lips. (Robinson, White, & Houchins, 2006)
Another sense that tends to dwindle is vision. People who do not see clearly, or suffer from blindness, tend to enhance the other senses to make up for the loss. These people will often hear more than the average person. These people also interpret those sounds differently thus depending greatly on what they hear or are told. When presented with
Communication with the Elderly Population
When dealing with the public, there are always going to be barriers in communication. Race, sex, and disabilities are just a few examples of the challenges we face every day. In the medical field however, these challenges are magnified and the challenges present themselves in different ways. This is especially true with the elderly population.
Dulled Senses
It is fair to say that when people get older, their senses can become dulled. A very common side effect to getting older is hearing loss. This makes it very difficult to communicate. People with hearing loss will not understand exactly what you are saying and can often misinterpret what they hear. This poses a significant problem when trying to identify why an elderly person is seeking medical attention. It is often possible for the hearing impaired to be slightly self conscious about their disability and pretend to understand what you are telling them. This can lead to false diagnosis, or the administration of medications that the patient might be allergic to. It is very important to identify when a person presents with a hearing impairment and utilize alternate methods of communication. Some examples might be speaking louder and clearly, the use of hand gestures, or writing the questions and answers down for the person. Additionally, one should sit face to face with a hearing impaired person. Whether it is total hearing loss, or the hard of hearing patient, in many cases these people rely on reading another’s lips. (Robinson, White, & Houchins, 2006)
Another sense that tends to dwindle is vision. People who do not see clearly, or suffer from blindness, tend to enhance the other senses to make up for the loss. These people will often hear more than the average person. These people also interpret those sounds differently thus depending greatly on what they hear or are told. When presented with
References: Robinson, TE, White, GL, & Houchins, JC. (2006). Improving communication with the older population. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17022433?dopt=Abstract Larkin, Carole. (2011). Ten tips for communicating with an Alzheimer’s patient. Retrieved from http://www.alzheimersreadingroom.com/2010/03/ten-tips-for-communicating-with.html Aisen PS, Schneider LS, Sano M, Diaz-Arrastia R, van Dyck CH, et al. High-dose B vitamin supplementation and cognitive decline in Alzheimer 's disease: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2008;300:1774-1783. Querfurth HW, LaFerla FM. Alzheimer 's disease. N Engl J Med. 2010 Jan 28;362(4):329-44. Unknown, Initials. (2011, August 03). Communication strategies: talk between people with and without visual impairments. Retrieved from http://tcbdevito.blogspot.com/2011/08/communication-strategies-talk-between.html