Tips on Teaching a Senior and In Home Senior Care
Every single day is a new opportunity to experience and learn something new. Learning capabilities are very efficient all the way up in the 80s for most adults. It is important to treat each elderly person as an individual and to not assume that slower paced, shorter sessions of learning are the best way to go. Usually, the inability to retain knowledge after age 80 could signal warning signs for a cognitive impairment disease such as Alzheimer’s disease. Remember to speak at your listener’s level; a highly educated person will prefer more technical terms and others will appreciate short and simple words.
For many seniors, it is beneficial to participate in group learning. When a lesson is passed along through listening, it is processed easier than visual learning. The more advanced in age, the better information is absorbed with hearing it repetitively.
Generally, when teaching elderly adults, it is often best to speak in a low, even tone. Allowing time for mental processing of information that is presented is usually key to successful learning for an elderly loved one. If a senior loved one is coping with hearing loss or vision decline, it is helpful to take that into consideration.
When teaching a senior about something completely new to them, first assess what skills or knowledge they might already possess about the subject. Find a common link to their interests to the new subject, such as learning how to use their enjoyment of reading books and being able to buy them online using a computer. Teach the basics first. Knowing how to shut down programs and turn the computer on and off may seem easy to a young person who has grown up around it; but to a senior with little experience, this is a crucial step to understand. Go slow with new information and allow time for an elderly loved one to process before moving on. After basic knowledge is established, show them parts that might interest them such as being able to socialize and stay entertained on the internet. This will help them to put their new knowledge to use and keep using it.
If you would like to learn more about caring and consistent in home senior care and the many benefits of professional elderly care or dementia and Alzheimer’s care, call Senior Helpers to speak to a senior care specialist today 727-210-1414! The compassionate senior care specialists at Senior Helpers can also guide you through the process of receiving the Veterans Administration Aid and Attendance Benefit if your elderly loved one is a veteran. In home senior care allows your loved one to stay in the comforts of their own home for as long as possible while receiving the level of care they need. Senior Helpers of Clearwater provides a wide range of services including Alzheimer’s and dementia care, personal assistance, companionship, and so much more to all areas of Largo, Seminole, and St. Petersburg (Including the Beaches), Florida.