Communication with Elders Course

Communication with Elders Course is organized by Professional Development Resources (PDR), Inc.

Course Description:
Communication with Elders is a 2-hour online continuing education (CE) course that provides an overview of aging changes that affect communication, dysfunctional communication habits to avoid, and strategies for appropriate communication with elders.

Effective, appropriate communication with elders is important for many reasons. For speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and audiologists, communication is the foundation of service delivery. Communication is required for assessment of the person prior to treatment. Symptoms are, after all, subjective and must be reported by the person to the clinician. Effective communication also contributes to health literacy; the persons’ understanding of their condition, treatment options, and the treatment plan to be followed.

SLPs are ideally suited to facilitate communication with patients due to clinical expertise in communication. This expertise also makes them the leaders in educating other members of the interdisciplinary team on effective communication strategies with elders who have complex communication needs. This course will aid the SLP in improving communication with elders, and, in turn, improving their quality of life.

Learning Objectives:
• Describe three aging changes that impact communication with elders
• List three strategies for communication with a person with dementia
• Distinguish between effective communication and elderspeak
• Name a nonverbal body language sign that differs from culture to culture
• Describe the most appropriate response to an elder with suicidal ideation
• Identify signs of possible elder abuse