If you’re a family caregiver to a senior parent you probably have struggled to have a conversation with your parent at some point. When you spent most of the time that you spend with your senior parent taking care of them you can take on a parental role to your parent. That makes it difficult to have a real conversation. And if your parent has dementia or another condition that can make it even tougher to have a conversation. When you want to try and have a great conservation with your senior loved one without sounding like you’re their parent try these conversation starters:
Ask A Question About Their Life
Asking a simple open-ended question is a great way to start a real conversation with your senior loved one. Ask them about some aspect of their life and let them talk about it even if they start to go off on a tangent. See where the tangent takes you. Ask follow up questions so that they know you’re paying attention and you are interested in what they are saying. If your senior loved one has an in-home care provider this is a fantastic way for the in-home care provider to get to know your senior loved one.
Bring An Object With You To Talk About
A fantastic way to get the conversation flowing is to bring something with you that the two of you can talk about. A pretty scarf with lots of colors and patterns on it, or a family photo album, or something else that will give you both something to focus the conversation around will allow the two of you to start talking. Focusing your senior loved one’s attention on the object will allow you to have a conversation as equals that doesn’t involve you taking on a parental role for them.
Go For A Walk
Walking outdoors can spark some great conversations. You and your senior loved one can talk about nature or something beautiful that you see like the autumn leaves on the trees, or a gorgeous sunset. There’s something about being active that makes conversation a lot easier. If you’re in the home with your senior loved one and you can’t seem to get a conversation going suggest that the two of you go for a walk and then you can start a conversation about the weather, or the scenery. .
Start Cooking Something
Cooking is another activity that will start to trigger memories and conversations. Gathering together over some delicious food always makes conversation easier. You can open the door to some conversation by asking your senior loved one about the foods they loved as a child or how they learned to cook a particular food. Food is something everyone likes to talk about because everyone has to eat and a lot of memories and life stories are related to food and the role of food in the family. By asking them questions about why some foods are important to them or how they learned to cook you can also avoid any awkward silences during a meal.
