| Summary • Reminiscing and recounting heydays are proven to increase the overall quality of life for aging adults. • Communicating and connecting with older loved ones provides invaluable insight into their lives and experiences, helping you to form deeper bonds with them. • Asking questions about their past and encouraging them to share their memories with you is a great way to start meaningful conversations with aging adult family members. |
Our relationships with aging family members are some of the most precious ones we’ll ever have. While communication is at the heart of these relationships, connecting with elderly parents or grandparents can sometimes be challenging.
A survey of Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 years and older found that 42% of aging adults had problems with hearing, 26% experienced writing difficulties, and 7% faced challenges using a telephone.
If your elders are far away or you don’t see them often, communicating with them may not be easy.
However, the benefits of connecting with your aging loved ones far outweigh these potential obstacles.
Communicating with aging family members is an excellent opportunity to benefit from their wealth of life experience, grow closer to them, and build a relationship you’ll treasure forever. You may even make them feel special when you put time and effect into communicating with them.
In this article, we outline some engaging conversation starters that can help bridge the gap between you and your older loved ones. Soon you’ll be having those deep conversations that you’ll treasure for years to come.
The Benefits of Having Meaningful Conversations with Aging Loved Ones
Meaningful conversations with elderly loved ones help you form deeper bonds and learn invaluable life lessons you might not gain elsewhere.
Perhaps more importantly, reliving the past and recounting special memories has been proven to help aging adults feel happier and have better self-esteem.
In one study, researchers held a structured reminiscing session twice a week with aging women in a care facility to see if it could reduce symptoms of depression.
| What is Structured Reminiscence? Structured reminiscence — also known as life review therapy— i s often used to treat memory loss and dementia by encouraging people to relive cherished moments from their past. Life reviews are an effective therapy method for older adults with varying levels of impairment, like hearing or writing difficulties. |
The research found that not only did this structured reminiscence ease depression in these women, but it also improved their self-esteem and overall life satisfaction.
Let’s look at some questions you can ask your aging loved ones to help them reminisce.
Questions to Ask Aging Adults About Their Youth
Our aging family members experienced a very different world growing up than ours.
We can learn various important lessons by simply talking to them about their youth and what life was like back then. Older adults may also feel valued when we demonstrate that we care about what they have to say.
Here are some questions you can ask aging adults about their younger years.
What do you remember about where you grew up?
Stories of a childhood you did not experience may inspire you to visit places you may not have explored otherwise. By asking them this question, you can also visit parts of the world that may no longer exist through their eyes.
What did you like to do for fun when you were growing up?
Finding out what your parents and grandparents enjoyed doing while growing up can help you get to know their likes and dislikes and even help them re-live their happiest moments.
Can you tell me more about your first job?
Asking your aging family members about their first or favorite job can give you insight into how the working world has changed and grant you a new appreciation for your own career path.
How did you meet your spouse?
Perhaps the most special moments we experience in our lives are when we meet our life partners. Letting your aging loved ones share these fond memories with you may make them smile and help them savor what they remember about their romantic relationships.
Questions to Ask Aging Adults About Your Family
Whether you’re planning a family legacy project or if you’d simply love to know more about where you come from, speaking to aging adults can shed light on your family history.
What can you tell me about your parents and grandparents?
An older adult’s parents and grandparents lived through world wars, revolutions, and other major events. There’s much to be learned about history through the tales aging adults can share with us.
Can you tell me more about our family name, history, or origin?
Aging relatives likely know more about your family history than anyone else. Chatting to them about the origins of the family name, for example, is the perfect place to start.
You can also learn more about your heritage and what life was like for the generations that came before you.
Growing up, what were your children like?
Wouldn’t hearing about your own parents’ most embarrassing moments just be so fun? Your grandparents likely have plenty of stories they can share about your parents — they were there for it all!
Did our family ever have to overcome significant world events?
Beyond the civil war or the famous “I Have a Dream” speech, there’s a lot your elders can tell you about the world that you wouldn’t find in history textbooks. And it may give you a new appreciation to know what your family has overcome.
Questions to Ask Aging Adults About Growing Older
Older adults are experiencing a period of life that we know nothing about yet.
Spending time asking them about this particular part of their life’s journey may help you better understand what they’re going through and what you can expect in the future.
What are some of the most rewarding things about getting older?
There is plenty to love about getting older, from financial benefits to simply having more time for the things they enjoy. It’s worth asking aging adults what the most rewarding parts of growing old are and what you have to look forward to.
What life advice would you give to someone just starting out?
Perhaps one of the greatest sources of advice we could ever find is from those that have already lived through what life has to offer.
Regardless of your age, there’s much to be learned from older adults through their unique perspectives. But if you’re just starting out in life, a conversation with an older loved one might give you the direction and guidance you need to make the most out of the life that lies ahead.
Given the chance, what age would you like to return to and why?
This question might bring about some valuable insight into which moments you should truly cherish. For example, if your grandparent tells you that being a young parent was their most fulfilling age, you might want to work more on enjoying the challenges and joys of raising children.
How would you like to be remembered by future generations?
Knowing how your aging loved ones want to be remembered is important, as this will help you ensure their legacy lives on the way they’d want it to.
What are the most important lessons you’ve learned in life?
This is one of the most valuable questions you can ask your aging family members.
You might find that an older adult views things from an entirely different perspective than others you connect with, and the lessons they’ve learned might be unlike anything you’ve heard before.
The opportunity to learn through the experiences of others is priceless. Whatever the answer may be to this question, it’s one worth listening closely to.
What to Do if You Don’t Know Where to Start Your Conversation
If you don’t know where to start when having meaningful conversations or what questions to ask an aging person, you might want to begin with something a little more simple, like their favorite things.
You could ask them things like:
- What is your favorite movie of all time?
- What is your favorite food?
- Who was your favorite teacher at school?
- What were your best and worst subjects in school?
- What school activities did you enjoy most?
Also, when trying to prompt conversations with your elderly loved ones, you might want to bring along meaningful materials like old photo albums and special memorabilia.
This may unlock even more happy memories and help aging adults recall the finer details of all their stories.
How LogicMark Keeps You Connected with Aging Loved Ones
We know just how special conversations with older loved ones are. You can learn and grow from their advice while gaining insight into how the world once was.
Aside from these beautiful moments, we know you also want to keep aging family members safe, even when they’re far away.
This is where a medical alert device can provide connection when it’s needed most.
With a LogicMark device, aging adults can connect with 911 operators, friends, family, or caregivers at the touch of a button during emergencies.
Knowing that your older family members are safe and can get help when they need it will provide a sense of comfort to both you and your loved ones.
Visit our website to explore our devices and find one that keeps you and your family connected.
