Personalized Advice for Communicating Effectively with Seniors

Communicating Effectively with Seniors:

Sometimes it can be very hard to communicate effectively with seniors. Half of the time people find it very hard to decipher what they say, and the other half of their time is spent in patiently explaining to senior people what heir point of view is. Frustrating it may be though, the fact is that it is very essential to communicate with seniors. Even if one does not really achieve much from the whole bargain, what one does is cultivate the habit of being patient.

Caring for senior people is all about communicating with them whole-heartedly. It is very important to discuss with them all the major changes happening in their lives, ranging from health to finances, legal and basic life. Their family members too should be involved in such discussions. The problem is that such conversations lead to disagreements. They put people on the defensive. Hence, while taking such sensitive topics up and have seniors respond well to them, one must improve one’s way of communicating.

Given below are 4 primary communication styles that work well while communicating with seniors.

Assertor:

This style of communication entails asserting oneself out-and-out and making oneself very clear to the senior person being spoken to. This style is best suited for those individuals who are always confident of what they are saying and know they can back their words with action. They mean what they say and the same is applicable when they speak to a senior citizen. Such people should not be misunderstood for being arrogant or being rude. They simply like to assert themselves and take stock of the situation and make their point of view clear. Moreover, they assert themselves in such a way that even senior people see the logic in what is being said.

Contemplator:

This form of communication with senior people should be used by those who think a lot. Anytime a senior person says something, it gets such people thinking, and only after careful and thorough consideration of what they wish to say do they respond to what is being said to them. The same is applicable in situations when they have something to say to senior people. They give it a good thought fully realizing that anything they say might elicit an adverse reaction as well. Whatever they say or hear are always well contemplated and reacted to accordingly, knowing that old people feel hurt or become disinterested very fast.

Demonstrator:

The demonstrator form of communication entails engaging in the activity being spoken about and being animated while speaking out something so that the senior being communicated with finds it easy to understand. Demonstrators undergo extensive training and it reflects in their performances when they begin communicating with someone. They back their words with actions and animated expressions in such a manner that even someone who is old can easily understand what is it that is being said. Demonstrators are very effective communicators, especially in the case of senior people and disabled people with physical limitations.

Narrator:

Narrators are those types of communicators who present their point of view in the form of an engaging story so that the listener, in this case, a senior person, is captivated and feels engrossed. When they say something, they say it in the form of a narrative that is interesting to listen to. They kind of communicators undergo a lot of training, as talking to a senior person can be a sensitive matter and anything being said casually or nonchalantly can have the listener disinterested fast. Hence, they say it in such a manner that has the senior person interested and responding accordingly.

These are some personalized pieces of advice, some ways of communicating with senior people so that the necessary message is put forth effectively. Mastering any one of these or perhaps all of these will put you in the best position to communicate with a senior person in such a way that he neither feels violated nor hurt, rather content that the message was communicated clearly and in a polite and effective manner.

As people grow old, their reflexes become slow and they become physically weak. They stop responding to conversations and find it hard to comprehend things. In such times, they must be spoken to in a way that they find easy to relate to.