Communicating with Older Adults Flashcards
Define Ageism
a term used to describe prejudice expressed toward older adults through attitudes and behaviour, it is found across cultures
Define elderspeak
a form of ageism in which younger people alter their speech based on the assumption that all older adults have difficulty understanding and comprehending
What are the characteristics of elderspeak
speaking slowly or loudly or both
using a sing-song voice
using pronouns “we”, “us” etc. in place of you
using pet names
answering questions for the older adult
Define sensorineural hearing loss
damage to inner ear or neural pathways. Presbycusis, which is related to aging, is the most common form of hearing loss
Define conductive hearing loss
usually involves abnormalities of the external and middle ear that reduce the ability of sound to be transmitted to or through the inner ear
Describe cerumen impaction
build up of ear wax that makes it harder to hear
-those that wear hearing aides and older men with large amounts of hair in their ears are at a higher risk
What are the major causes of vision impairment and blindness among older adults?
-cataracts
-macular degeneration
-glaucoma
-diabetic retinopathy
What score on the Snellen chart is needed for a vision impairment classification?
worse than a 20/40 but better than 20/200
Define anomia
word retrieval difficulties during spontaneous speech and naming tasks
Define dysarthria
impairment in the ability to articulate words as the result of damage to the central or peripheral nervous system that affects the speech mechanism
What are the 3 major categories that impaired verbal communication occurs in after neurological disturbance?
-reception
-perception
-articulation
Define aphasia
loss of the ability to express and understand spoken and written language
Define apraxia
an impairment in the ability to manipulate objects or perform purposeful acts, including the ability to speak
Define dysarthria
a speech disorder caused by weakness or incoordination of the muscles used for speech
Define life review
a critical analysis of a person’s past life, with the goal of facilitating integrity
What are the two forms of hearing loss?
conductive and sensorineural hearing loss
Define conductive hearing loss
external and middle-ear abnormalities that reduce the transmission of sound to the middle ear
Define sensorineural hearing loss
damage to any part of the inner ear or the neural pathways to the brain
What can cause conductive hearing loss?
otosclerosis, infection, perforated eardrum, fluid in the middle ear or cerumen accumulation
Define presbycusis
a form of sensorineural hearing loss that is related to aging– it is the most common form of hearing loss in Canada
What is used to treat sensorineural hearing loss?
hearing aids and cochlear implants
Define cerumen
ear wax
those at particular risk are those that wear hearing aids and those that have ear hair
What are the major causes of visual impairment and blindness among older persons?
cataracts, macular degeneration, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy
Define visual impairment
low vision– a Snellen reading of worse than 20/40 but better than 20/200
What are the three major categories of impaired verbal communication arise from neurological disturbances?
1) reception– anxiety, hearing deficits, etc.
2) perception– stroke, dementia, etc.
3) articulation– dysarthria, respiratory disease
Define Wernicke’s aphasia
the result of a lesion in the superior temporal gyrus that causes the patient to speak easily but the content does not make sense
Define Broca’s aphasia
damage to the posteroinferior portions of the dominant frontal lobe that causes the patient to understand others but not be able to articulate their own words, or they go very slow with a struggle
Define verbal apraxia
a motor speech disorder that affects the ability to plan and sequence voluntary muscle movements– the muscles of speech are not paralyzed, there is a disruption in the brain’s transmission of signals to the muscles
when they plan to say a sentence the words don’t come out correct or at all, but when they don’t plan the sentence comes out fine
Define anomic or nominal aphasia
lesions of the dominant temporoparietal regions of the brain that leads to the person being able to understand and speak but unable to find the right words or they leave out crucial content words
Define global aphasia
the person can’t understand words or speak intelligibly (sometimes using meaningless syllables repeatedly– the result of large left-hemisphere lesions
Define dysarthria
a speech disorder caused by poor coordination or weakness of the speech muscles– occurs as a result of central or peripheral neuromuscular disorders that interfere with pronunciation and with the clarity of speech
What are some strategies for communicating with individuals experiencing cognitive impairment?
-give one-step directions
-speak slowly
-allow time for a response
-reduce distractions
-interact with one person at a time
-be aware of your nonverbal communication
-give clues and cues and use gestures
What is a life review?
a process that older person at the end of their life will go through in which death creates a resurgence of unresolved conflicts
