April 4, 2017

Physical Skills for Caregiving – Did You Know?

Question: In order to clearly communicate with a loved one who has hearing loss, a caregiver you should do which of the following?

a) Shout so they can hear you better

b) Stand to their right or left side

c) Speak in a higher pitch voice,

⇒d) Look directly at them when speaking Maintaining a good position with them can help the person with hearing loss better communicate. Seeing your face and expressions may help them fill in the blanks of what they did not hear. It also shows that they have your undivided attention. It is also helpful to get on their level when speaking: If they are standing, stand in front of them. If they are sitting, sit in front of them to communicate. It is also good to limit audible distractions when communicating (i.e. a loud television, radio, or other noises in the background).

Did you answer correctly? Do you find yourself doing “All of the Above” in an attempt to communicate? Sometimes the answers to caregiving stresses can be as simple as understanding and education! Could you or someone you know use some pointers? We can help!

FREE Family Caregiver Workshop: Physical Skills of Caregiving | April 13th | Click here for more details!