COMMUNICATION BETWEEN NURSES AND THE ELDERLY - PRESENT AND FUTURE
Review
Authors : Goran Stojanović, Milica Vasiljević Blagojević, Negra Terzić, Jelena Krstić, Željko Vlaisavljević, Dušan Stojanović
You can download the PDF version of the whole manuscript by clicking the button bellow
-
Manuscript keywords: communication, adults, elderly, nurses
Abstract
The World Health Organization (WHO) has defined communication quality as one of the five
essential skills for a healthy and happy life. Quality communication is particularly important
in healthcare, especially for those who have communication difficulties, the majority of
whom are elderly. Communication problems among older adults range from those seeking to
prevent the development of communication difficulties to those who already experience
challenges such as dysarthria, aphasia, and hearing loss. This study aimed to examine the
problems in communication between nurses and the elderly. We searched the PubMed and
Embase databases using the keywords: "communication," “adults,” "elderly," and "nurses."
The findings suggest that nurses' assistance to the elderly in overcoming communication
problems is crucial. It is important to understand the specifics of communication, the basic
communication rules with the elderly, and the problems older adults face in conducting
communication adequately. The findings support the idea that nurses can significantly help
overcome communication barriers by choosing appropriate strategies, such as repetition,
noise elimination, and environmental control, especially in addressing sensory issues. To
improve communication between nurses and older adults, it is necessary to assess all
communication barriers, prejudices, beliefs, fears, and the identity of the elderly. Some
studies suggest new research topics, revealing that screening to assess sensory functions in
the elderly is insufficiently applied and that practical activities within the care of the elderly
with sensory impairment are not always utilized. Changing such nursing practices would
greatly improve communication and the quality of care for the elderly.
Corresponding Author: Goran Stojanović, e-mail: sgoras@yahoo.com