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Author: Home Helpers Home Care

As seniors get older, they might change some of their communication habits, even going so far as not talking as often as they used to. There are so many different reasons this can happen, but it’s often upsetting for family members and friends. Home care assistance can help family caregivers make sure that seniors have all the help they need, even if they’re not communicating as clearly as they did in the past.

Cognitive or Sensory Changes

Sensory changes, like vision loss, can make it more difficult for seniors to pick up on social cues and stay connected to conversations. Trouble with working memory or cognitive processing can also make it difficult for seniors to stay involved in conversations. These changes may become so frustrating that seniors gradually stop talking as much. While some of these changes might be correctible, like with improved lighting or corrective lenses, many may not.

Dementia

Dementia is another common issue that affects senior communication. Seniors with dementia tend to have more trouble understanding and processing speech. They also have more difficulty formulating responses and keeping track of conversational changes. Gradually, these neurological changes cause them to communicate less often. Seniors with dementia may still talk, but speak in ways that family members and friends just don’t understand. They may string together unrelated words or appear to be having an entirely different conversation than the one going on around them.

Aphasia

Sometimes seniors have trouble coming up with the right word in conversation. This may happen once in a while or eventually, it can start to happen all the time. Aphasia can be frustrating and frightening for seniors, especially if they’ve had no trouble with this in the past. Aphasia can be a result of a stroke, but it can also occur because of other reasons. Sometimes people with aphasia have trouble speaking but not writing words, and sometimes they have the reverse problem. Regardless, aphasia significantly impacts their ability to communicate effectively.

Physical Difficulty Speaking

There are other issues seniors can have with communication, including trouble with pronunciation, speech clarity, and pain while speaking. Some of these issues can be related to health problems like strokes, Parkinson’s disease, MS, and other issues. Occupational or speech therapy can help in some cases, but not all. If it’s physically difficult for seniors to talk, they may no longer try.

Hearing Loss

Hearing loss directly affects communication, especially in terms of confidence and ability to interact with other people. When seniors experience enough hearing loss, they may stop trying to stay involved in conversations at all. Hearing loss is also connected to cognitive wellness, which can cause additional problems over time that share some similarities with dementia.

All of these issues can be frustrating for seniors to cope with. Elder care providers understand how tough it can be for seniors to communicate when there are challenges interfering. Home care assistance offers support that family caregivers and seniors can rely on to make communication easier and to help seniors get the hands-on care that they need.

If you or an aging loved one are considering home care assistance in Dyer, IN, please contact the caring staff at Home Helpers Home Care of NW Indiana today at (219) 244-2533.

Home Helpers Home Care of NW Indiana provides exceptional home and facility care for seniors in Highland, Munster, Crown Point, Schererville, Dyer, Saint John, Valparaiso, Cedar Lake, Griffith, Lowell and the surrounding areas.