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3 Tools for Successfully Communicating with Aging Adults by Jake Harwood

In a sense, communication is no more or less important between Baby Boomers and aging parents than it is in any other relationship.

It’s significant that people are now paying attention to these issues. It’s unfortunate that for too many years seniors have been ignored, but finally, efforts like Home Instead Senior Care’s research are attempting to uncover the kinds of information we need for society to include and embrace people of all ages.

I was surprised by the “role” issues that emerged in Home Instead Senior Care‘s study, and I think this is a unique contribution of this research: namely, it uncovered the fact that nearly one-third of adults in the U.S. have a major communication obstacle with their parents stemming from continuation of the “parent-child role.”

It appears that some seniors may be dealing with their grown sons or daughters as if they’re children rather than mature adults and perhaps some adult children may be having trouble adjusting to the idea of occupying a more equal role in interactions with their parents.

So, what are some ways to surmount those obstacles?

1) Be aware of simple techniques and treatments

The most obvious is hearing aids. Older adults need to know about developments in hearing-aid technology.

2) Seek medical attention, if necessary

There are specific strategies for communication that can be very helpful with people who have Alzheimer’s disease, for instance, but they are fairly specific based on the disorder.

3) Be aware of assumptions

For younger people, that means simply being cognizant of the need to treat older adults as people and not as stereotypes.

Home Instead Senior Care’s research has revealed that “living” issues, such as the senior parent not being able to remain at home any longer, lead the list as the most difficult topics to discuss for Baby Boomer children.

Jake Harwood (jharwood@u.arizona.edu) is professor of communication and former director of the Graduate Program in Gerontology at the University of Arizona. His research focuses on communication and aging.

Image: pro.corbis.com