Communicating with seniors who experience speech challenges

Communication problems can become more common with age.  Some seniors experience communication challenges caused by impaired hearing, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease or complications from a stroke.  Communication difficulty can become frustrating for family, caregivers and your elderly loved one. Some of the following strategies can help improve the communication process:

Respect:  Include your loved one in conversations.

Practice:  Provide communication support when needed but avoid speaking for them or finishing sentences.

Patience:  Stick with one topic during a conversation.  If you need to change the topic of conversation tell your loved one and wait for them to acknowledge before switching topics.  Take time to actively listen.