| Keeping an emotional balance | | | | reduced communication skills are one of the |
| With elderly care for those who have a terminal | | | | results of aging, which is something that is beyond |
| illness, two forms of emotions often overcome | | | | your control. However, you ability to identify the |
| the caregiver: pity & compassion, and they | | | | source of the problem will consequently determine |
| are at completely opposite ends of the spectrum. | | | | the steps you need to take in order resolve |
| It's important, however, to try and balance those | | | | them. |
| two emotions to ensure that you are able to | | | | Solutions can be as simple as finding alternative |
| provide the best quality of care that you possibly | | | | means to communicate outside of a verbal |
| can. | | | | exchange, or as intricate as requiring medical |
| Pity will make you feel sorry for the person for | | | | intervention. |
| whom you are caring, while compassion will allow | | | | Causes of communication problemso Hearing |
| you to become much more sensitive of their | | | | failure as mentioned above - When people age, |
| needs, and cause you to work your hardest in | | | | they undergo anatomical changes. Reduced |
| addressing them. | | | | hearing capacity is a natural effect involved with |
| A few ways to keep your emotions balanced | | | | the natural aging process. When an elder lacks |
| might include:o Focusing your attention on | | | | proper hearing capacity, they do not recognize |
| providing for the needs of the terminally-ill | | | | when someone is talking nor understand clearly |
| individual instead of becoming too engrossed with | | | | the information being relayed. There are hearing |
| your emotionso Instead of dwelling on what you | | | | aids available these days which produce a sharper |
| cannot change, try to focus on what you can do | | | | sense of hearing for the elderlyo Vision problems |
| to help enrich that person's lifeo Allow them to | | | | & failing eyesight - Another natural effect of |
| experience the best of their remaining days | | | | aging is failing eyesight. Therefore, older persons |
| Communication problems | | | | have difficulty reading written communication. The |
| A lack of proper communication is one of the | | | | effects of failing eyesight can be reduced through |
| biggest challenges in elderly care. It can lead to | | | | using alternative communication devices, such as |
| frustration in both the caregiver and the person | | | | eyeglasseso Effects of medications - This cause |
| being cared for. | | | | for communication problems IS reversible. Taking |
| There are a variety of reasons why | | | | medicines often produce adverse effects on the |
| communication becomes less effective with older | | | | elderly person, such that they become easily |
| people, but most of them are due to their | | | | fatigues or confused. Therefore, they find it |
| reduced hearing capacity or inability to express | | | | difficult to understand communicative patternso |
| their thoughts as clearly as they once used to. | | | | Structural or neurological damage - This condition |
| Since communication involves a clear exchange of | | | | is often caused by other diseases such as brain |
| information involving two parties, a gap exists | | | | lesions, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, or even strokes. |
| when one or both fail to function. | | | | Most of these conditions produce permanent |
| Though there are exceptions to everything, | | | | results. |