Articles About Communication with Elderly

1. How to Communicate Better With Someone Who Has Early-Stage Alzheimer's

   Article - How to communicate with someone who has early stage Alzheimer's or other dementias. Keep these simple communication techniques in mind.

2. How to Talk to the Elderly

   Article - Knowing how to talk to the elderly is not obvious. To talk to the elderly effectively, understand that they have their own developmental agenda.

3. Talking to a Loved One About Death

   Article - Guidance for talking to a loved one about death, from what issues you might want to discuss to being a good listener.

4. How to Have Strong Communication With Medical Staff

   Article - Basic approaches to getting the information you need to make good decisions about your parent's medical care.

5. 9 Wordless Ways Someone Says, "I Love You"

   Article - Trying to figure out someone's feelings toward you? Use your ears less and your eyes more. Learn the body language that communicates, "I love you."

6. 5 Surprising Ways to Show Your Love

   Article - Actions speak louder than words -- that old saying is always fresh in the language of love. Here, 5 nonverbal but effective ways to show your love.

7. 7 Smart Tips for Communicating With Someone Who Has Low Hearing

   Article - Does your loved one seem to ignore what you say half the time? Maybe you're not being heard. Fully one-third of adults over age 65 and about half of those over age 85 have significant hearing loss.

8. 5 Ways to Outfox a Know-It-All

   Article - Know-it-alls who take over conversations are a trial to be around. Here, 5 ways to get a word in -- or at least not be bothered by what they say.

9. 6 Things Not to Say to Someone With Breast Cancer

   Article - What do you say to someone with breast cancer? Don't say 'everything is going to be all right.' Learn about the 6 things not to say to someone with breast cancer.

10. Understanding the Prognosis for Breast Cancer

    Article - Understanding the prognosis for breast cancer takes some effort. To understand the prognosis, you'll learn about staging, grading, and various tests.

11. How to Respond to Garbled Speech

    Article - If speech comes out garbled and you aren't sure what your loved one is trying to say, don't focus too much on figuring out the exact meaning. This may go against your natural impulses and make you feel like a failure. But it's freeing to realize that even without a perfect understanding of the message...

12. The Art of Correcting Someone With Mild Dementia

    Article - Bad hair days happen. Along with an uneven shave or misapplied makeup, subtle missteps in appearance can be evidence of your loved one's struggle to cope with brain changes.

13. 5 Secrets to Pleasing a Picky Eater

    Article - Advice abounds about making food appealing to a picky eater. But how do you appeal to the person herself? Here, 5 secrets to engaging a finicky type.

14. How to Spend Quality Time With Someone Who Has Advanced Dementia

    Article - Discover 3 wonderful ways to spend quality time with someone who has advanced dementia.

15. Late-Stage Dementia: The Chain of Communication

    Article - Here's a difficult but useful discussion to have with family members: When do you want to be called? Learn tips for this important conversation.

16. How to Help Those Visiting a Loved One With Severe Dementia

    Article - Company coming? The following suggestions will put visitors at ease as well as make the experience as pleasant as possible for your loved one with severe-stage dementia.

17. Common Language Problems of Severe-Stage Alzheimer's

    Article - As the ability to process language deteriorates, your loved one may experience any of these communication problems.

18. What to Do When Mirrors Upset Someone With Dementia

    Article - Find out simple solutions to mirror freak-outs.

19. How to Explain Alzheimer's Disease to a Child

    Article - Kids can be scared by what they don't know. Learn some great age-appropriate ways to explain Alzheimer's to a child.

20. Smart Ways to Ask a Question of Someone With Moderate Dementia

    Article - Some of the most natural phrases can strike the wrong note when we're talking to someone with considerable dementia. Simple questions like, "What did you and Bill talk about?" can sound like tests, making the person who can't remember these basics feel irritable or anxious.

21. Telephone Triage: Ways to Decide If a Loved One's Call Is Truly an Emergency

    Article - One of the more challenging aspects of being a working caregiver is getting a call from your loved one -- or make that many, many calls -- and feeling unsure about whether you need to leave work to address it.

22. 7 Dinner-Table Conversation Starters

    Article - It's a common dinner-table conversation ploy. Somebody asks, "What did you do today?" Unfortunately, that won't carry the talk past the first sips of water when your loved one -- and maybe you, too -- spent the whole day doing the same things as the day before, and the day before that.

23. Holiday Spy Kit: 8 Clues Your Aging Parents Aren't OK

    Article - Holidays give adult children a chance to check on parents they haven't seen lately. Watch for these 8 clues that could mean your parents need help.

24. To Get Information From Someone With Moderate Dementia, Try Phrasing Your Question in the Third Person

    Article - People with moderate-stage dementia may find it easier to talk about themselves in the third person. Tricks for phrasing questions to get answers.

25. When Offering Help to Someone With Dementia, Don't Ask -- Tell

    Article - Someone with dementia will find it more difficult to ask for help as the disease progresses. Find out why, and what you can do to meet needs.

26. 3 Traps to Avoid When Talking to Someone With Dementia

    Article - Normal conversation can start to feel like an anxiety-producing test for someone with dementia. Learn these tips to ease conversational stress.

27. Don't Say This! Phrases That Can Stress out Someone With Dementia

    Article - Questions, even if they're normal in most conversations, can produce anxiety for someone in mild-stage dementia. Learn what to say instead.

28. Dementia Caregiving: Make Your Words and Your Emotions Match to Better Get Your Message Across

    Article - When caring for someone with dementia, match your words and your emotions to get your message across. Learn do's and dont's of "congruent care."

29. 6 Ways to Make Bathing Your Parent More Comfortable

    Article - There's no getting around the inherent awkwardness of giving your mom or dad a bath -- you feel it and so do they. Try these six ideas to up the comfort level:

30. 6 Ways to Work Around Someone Else's Denial

    Article - Does the relative you look after accept the reality of his or her situation? What about the other family members in the orbit of concern? Do they realistically get what's what – or are they in the throes of denial?

31. 8 Ways to Prepare Your Young Child for a Grandparent's Death

    Article - 8 ways to prepare your child for a family death, like that of a grandparent. Help children by talking about death and letting them spend time with grandparents.

32. Caring for Elderly Relatives: How to Handle Family Conflicts

    Article - Family conflicts and sibling rivalry often arise when caring for elderly relatives. Find ways to share the caring burden and resolve family conflicts.

33. When One Older Adult Is Caring for the Other

    Article - If one of your friend or relatives is caring for another older adult, your involvement is essential to help her avoid burnout.

34. 6 Things Not to Say to Someone With Cancer

    Article - What do you say to someone with cancer? Don't say 'everything is going to be all right.' Learn about the 6 things not to say to someone with cancer.

35. How to Sidestep Moving-Day Minefields

    Article - Guidelines to help you navigate the emotional and practical minefield of moving an older adult out of her home.

36. Giving a Bed Bath: A Step-by-Step Guide

    Article - Giving a bed bath: a step-by-step guide. When getting to the shower or tub isn't possible, a bed bath is the only option.

37. Bathing Your Mom: A Step-by-Step Guide

    Article - Strategies for tackling one of the trickiest and most intimate parts of caring for your mother when she's unable to care for herself.

38. Demystifying Your Aging Parents' New Stage of Life

    Article - Communicating with elderly parents may seem tough. But communicating with elderly parents shows you that they're still developing, even late in life.

39. What to Do About a Dangerous Senior Driver

    Article - How to keep a dangerous driver off the roads and out of harm's way -- what to do if your parents refuse to stop driving.

40. Creating a Lasting Legacy

    Article - How to help someone accept and be proud of all she's accomplished in her life.

41. How to Avoid Strained Sibling Relationships When a Parent Has Alzheimer's

    Article - The best ways to maintain family unity when caring for a parent with Alzheimer's disease.

42. How to Provide Alzheimer's Support From a Distance

    Article - Ten great ideas to help you care for someone with Alzheimer's disease when you can't be there in person.

43. Difficult Conversations: How to Approach Older Adults With Concerns About Their Driving

    Article - Giving up a driver's license is likely to be difficult for older adults. Learn how to approach and talk to older adults about driving safety.

44. The Best Way to Talk to Aging Adults About Driving

    Article - You're worried about your parents' driving abilities but don't know how to tell them. Tips for talking with elderly parents about driving.