How to ensure an elderly person feels valued.
This to me is such an important subject and here are ten ideas to ensure an elderly person feels valued.
- Listen to what they are saying , I mean listen not just hear !
- Maintain eye contact when you are talking to them or listening to them
- If they say they feel useless, remind them of what they can STILL do and what they USED to be able to do
- Look at their photographs with a genuine interest, it shows them at their youthful best
- Be tactile, a hand on their upper arm, a hand hold or a hug goes a very long way
- Encourage them to do what they can still manage, don’t do the jobs they can still do , it is undermining.
- Encourage them to actively participate in choosing what they would like shopping wise if they can no longer go out
- If they are a neighbour or a friend, ensure you know their Birthday. The older someone gets the chances are they receive fewer cards.
- Don’t let them wear dirty clothes. You wouldn’t go out in them would you so don’t let an elderly person do so
- Tell them you find them interesting and enjoy hearing about what they did when they were younger. They were once us!
When you spend time with them try and actively think of ways to ensure an elderly person feels valued. It is a human trait to want to feel loved and if not loved cared for.
