Effective communication with older people
Intended for healthcare professionals
CPD    

Effective communication with older people

Kirsten Jack Reader, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, England
Caroline Ridley Senior lecturer, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, England
Samuel Turner Nursing student, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, England

Effective communication with older people is an important aspect of nursing practice. Ineffective communication can lead to older people feeling inadequate, disempowered and helpless. Nurses have a duty to ensure that older people think they are being listened to and that their concerns are being validated in a non-judgemental way. Central to effective communication is the ability of nurses to be self-aware, and monitor their thoughts and feelings about, for example, negative stereotypes associated with the ageing process.

Effective communication can sometimes be difficult to achieve due to the effects of ageing, but nurses can overcome some barriers through thoughtful interventions. It is important to treat older people as individuals, and to monitor and adapt communication accordingly. By doing so, nurses can ensure older people feel empowered, respected and able to maintain their independence.

Nursing Older People. doi: 10.7748/nop.2019.e1126

Peer review

This article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and has been checked for plagiarism using automated software

Correspondence

K.Jack@mmu.ac.uk

Conflict of interest

None declared

Jack K, Ridley C, Turner S (2019) Effective communication with older people. Nursing Older People. doi: 10.7748/nop.2019.e1126

Published online: 29 May 2019

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