Table Of ContentCommunication Skills
for Working
With Elders
Second Edition
Barbara Bender Dreher, PhD, is Professor Emerita of Communica-
tion and former director of the speech and hearing curriculum at
Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. She holds the Certificate
of Clinical Competence from the American Speech, Language and
Hearing Association and presents many workshops for professionals
in health care and human services. She has served on national and
state committees on the communication disorders of adults and was
a founding member of the Ohio Research Council on Aging. After
acting as a consultant with the Greene County Health Department,
she founded the first support group for stroke victims in southern
Ohio. While serving as a family caregiver she built an extensive
record of professional and semi-professional publications.
Communication Skills
for Working
With Elders
Second Edition
Barbara Bender Dreher, PhD
SPRINGERS PUBLISHING COMPANY
NEW YORK
Copyright © 2001 by Springer Publishing Company, Inc.
All rights reserved
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise,
without the prior permission of Springer Publishing Company, Inc.
Springer Publishing Company, Inc.
11 West 42nd Street
New York, NY 10036
Cover design by Susan Hauley
Acquisitions Editor: Helvi Gold
Production Editor: Jeanne W. Libby
07 08 / 6 5
Library of Congress Catologing-in-Publication Data
Dreher, Barabara Bender.
Communication skills for working with elders / Barabara Bender Dreher.—2nd ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-8261-1405-9
1. Social work and the aged. 2. Communication in social work. 3. Communicative
disorders in old age. 4. Interpersonal communication. I. Title.
HV1451.D75 2001
362.6—dc21 00-067051
CIP
Printed in the United States of America by Berryville Graphics.
Contents
Introduction ix
Chapter 1 Bridges to Understanding 1
Two-Way Nature of Communication
Functions of Communication
Need and Desire for Communication as a
Variable of Personality
Form of Communication as a Variable
of Personality
Theories of Aging
Changing Mental Functioning of the Elderly
Social Expectations and Realities
Exercises
Chapter 2 How Aging Affects Communication 25
Social Changes That Affect Communication
Physical Changes That Affect Communication
Delicate Balance in Voice and Articulation
Changes in Hearing
Exercises
Chapter 3 Interacting With the Elderly 43
How the Elderly Perceive Themselves
Initiating and Maintaining Relationships
Interviewing
Interacting Empathically
Gaining Compliance
Exercises
v
vi Contents
Chapter 4 How Illness Affects Communication Skills 60
Case Study of an Aphasic
Effects of Stroke
Case Study of a Dysarthric
Effects of Medical Conditions
Case Study of a Laryngectomee
Effects of Surgery
Family's Reaction
Anxiety and Depression
Therapeutic Relationship
Exercises
Chapter 5 Exchanging Messages Despite Barriers 86
Modifying Your Reception
Modifying Your Vocal Production
Special Adaptations for the Intellectually
Impaired
Modifying Your Language
Telephoning
Touching
Exercises
Chapter 6 Decision Making With the Elderly 105
Timing and Tact
Exploring Alternatives
Charting Pros and Cons
Mobilizing From Past Strengths
Exercises
Chapter 7 Group Involvement 114
Values of Group Communication
Kinds of Groups
Procedures in Groups
Functional Roles
Maintaining Good Participation
Suggested Topics for Discussion
Exercises
Chapter 8 Promoting Self-Expressionn 129
Factors in Motivation
Establishing a Conducive Environment
Advantages of the Life Review
Audio/Video Taping for Posterity
Contents vii
Writing for Posterity
Exercises
Chapter 9 Computers and the Oldest Generation 140
Predictors of Computer Use by the Aged
Barriers
Benefits
Exercises
Chapter 10 Preserving Morale 150
Happiness is ... A Personal Perception
Keeping Attitudes Flexible
Cognitive Restructuring
Imaging
Innovative Approaches
Building Morale With Hospitality
Preserving Morale by Honoring
Exercises
Index 163 163
This page intentionally left blank
Introduction
The elderly make up the fastest growing segment of our population,
and there is increasing national interest in their well-being. The
upcoming generation of baby boomers will be choosy consumers—
discriminating and demanding. Historically, most resources have
gone into meeting the older person's basic needs for health, housing,
economic security, and compensatory services. Now there is growing
recognition that the served population wants more than satisfaction
with bread and butter issues. They want a better quality of life. They
want "happiness."
The pursuit of happiness is the birthright of every American,
regardless of age. But the full flowering of a personality can be
impeded by diminished sensory acuity, muscular strength, and intel-
lectual agility. Professionals are needed to assist the individual in
the kind of meaningful activities that maintain integrity, preserve
wisdom, and enhance personal relations.
Communication is the key to a happy psychosocial adjustment. It
is more than talking and listening, or reading and writing. It is a
tool for the kind of social interaction that can aid understanding
and overcome loneliness. It is the code for formulating our thoughts
and analyzing our emotions. Human happiness depends on the
quality of the messages we send to others and the quality of messages
we send to ourselves.
The goal of this book is to overcome the barrier of silence often
suffered by the elderly and to enhance the quality of their lives.
The barriers may be physical—an ill-fitting hearing aid or surgical
IX
