Finding Entertaining Things to Talk About with Seniors may be challenging if you aren’t sure what discussion subjects might make them feel uncomfortable. When you choose a subject and get the conservation rolling, you must be careful all throughout the process of conversation. Do not try to give them inappropriately, unwanted information.
Seniors have experience taking care of kids, so, being advised by an adult child, or a child is going to make them feel belittled. You can, instead, attempt to support them without offering advice. Keep in mind to also use your normal vocabulary without attempting to simplify it.
Doing so might make them feel like you’re treating them like a child.
How to Speak to Seniors
Before picking a topic, it’s great to master the art of communication with elderly individuals. There are some things you should bear in mind so it’s possible to keep them happily engaged all throughout the conversation.
Offer them your complete attention and be very patient with them, just in case they cannot talk at a quicker pace. Don’t interrupt because they love speaking freely and from their hearts. During the course of the conversation, don’t jump from topic to topic, because it may confuse them.
Concentrate on a single topic and exhaustively discuss it before jumping to any other topics. Avoid open-ended questions, particularly if the senior suffers from Alzheimer’s or dementia.
One other thing to bear in mind is to select the proper environment for the discussion. It should not be in a noisy area that has competing sounds of radio or television. Finally, keep in mind to accept differences in opinion and try to compromise whenever a decision must be made.
Discussion Topics for Elderly Individuals
Now you’re prepared to begin a discussion and step two includes choosing a subject. The elderly conversation starters aren’t much different from the ones used with your age group. But you must keep in mind that conversation subjects change as folks age and become intrigued by new things. Find below 9 of the top discussion subjects for senior citizens.
Discuss Their Past
Seniors love talking a lot about the past. It assists them in reliving the fantastic moments they experienced as youths or children. Some also will talk about the challenges they went through and how they beat them. This also can help you to learn.
Ask seniors about their favorite childhood memories, which type of fun activities they once participated in that made life interesting, and any lessons learned from these types of activities or their childhood life in general.
Ask about their viewpoints on the present
It’s a subject that naturally comes from seniors. Usually, they enjoy comparing what they see now with how things once were in the past. At this point, you can talk about the foods they loved to eat when they were growing up and if those foods are still available. You ought to take their advice about how you can begin a healthy lifestyle.
You also can talk about the issue of technology and ask them if they feel it has a positive impact on society.
Look to the future
Seniors have been around for quite some time and have seen so many things. It’s possible to ask them what they think about their grandchildren or children in the next ten years, or even how they believe the world is going to be in the next ten years. It’s also possible to ask them how they’d want to be remembered.
What are their favorite things?
Figure out from them if they have some favorite types of shows, movies, or music. You might be shocked that there are specific things the two of you have in common and it might start an intriguing conversation.
Also, figure out if there are some fun activities they love to participate in. If it’s something you know a little about, go at length and talk about it. It’s also possible to talk about a few activities you feel may be of interest to them and ask if they want to learn more about them.
Talk about their achievements in life
Talking about their accomplishments makes them feel glad about their achievements. Ask them what they’re proud of. It might be about the companies they built, their accomplishments at their workplaces, or the medals and trophies they obtained as sports rewards.
Ask them how those accomplishments shaped their lives and which lessons they’d love to pass to the present generation.
Talk about the university/college they attended
Some elderly people are extremely proud of their academic accomplishments. They love discussing their college days. Therefore, ask them if they went to college, what subjects they studied, and if they made any additional income during their university days by doing some type of job or anything else and ask their opinion about the colleges/universities today.
They’ll let you know about how college life was during their day, their academic accomplishments, and how those helped shape them. If they never attended college, ask them if they joined the military or about what they did instead.
Talk about their family
Seniors feel glad to talk about their families. It’s possible to ask them about how many sisters/brothers they have, where they are, their names, and what they’re doing.
Try and talk about what they recall about their loved ones while they were growing up. They’ll tell you a lot, even about their loved one who’s passed on.
Talk about their spouses
A lot of elderly people love to talk about their spouses; therefore, this also is an extremely interesting subject. They’ll open up and let you know how they met, where they met, and how old they were once they met, got engaged then got married. Ask them to compare modern weddings with their wedding.
Discuss what they do to eliminate stress
The majority of seniors get stressed and they’d be willing to talk about it. Some might be feeling lonely, particularly when their kids are grown-ups and no longer reside with them. It’s interesting to allow them to discuss with you how they’d cope in these types of situations and even with daily life.
List of Discussion Subjects for Elderly Individuals
We frequently keep ourselves so busy that we’ll forget to have healthy talks with our seniors at home. If you get an opportunity to speak with them on the weekends or at the dinner table, here are 14 Entertaining Things to Talk About with Seniors about interesting subjects to initiate a meaningful conversation in your free time. Use the following list of questions to make your discussion with seniors more thoughtful and interesting, too.
- What’s something you’d like to see from the past?
- We can watch Netflix. What did you do on the weekends, during those times?
- What did you dream of becoming in life?
- Share your experiences of witnessing lifestyle changes and technological development.
- What’s something that makes you think that the ‘Old is Gold’?
- What advice would you give to modern parents?
- What’s the main lesson you learned from your teen years?
- What’s something that’s missing in modern-day life?
- Share something which fully changed your viewpoint toward life.
- At what age did you find your first love?
- What do you think about today’s pop music?
- Which actress/actor is your favorite from today’s era? Why?
- What book do you suggest to this new generation?
- What’s something from the present lifestyle, that shocks you most?
What are some questions to ask your grandmother or grandfather?
In asking intriguing questions to grandparents, kids not just gain insight into their family’s history yet this way they’ll also give seniors an opportunity to relive these moments again. It’s a chance to dive into their past and rewind the fond memories they lived fully. A discussion with seniors doesn’t necessarily need to be restricted to political discussions or bedtime stories, there’s something more than that even modern-day parents have to learn from grandparents. The following list of questions brings such precious pieces of advice for the younger generation, to live a happy and healthy life. Also, you can reach out our article on Things Every Caregiver Should Know.
- What country do you want to travel to at least one time?
- Share the most frightening memories from childhood.
- Who were your friends and what was special about them?
- What is your best career advice for present workers?
- Share your experience of having a TV for the first time?
- What games did you play with your best friends?
- How good were you in math during your time in school?
- What pet did you have?
- When you were a child, did you believe in Santa?
- What language did you want to learn yet never got an opportunity to?
- What was your first job?
- What was your position at that job?
- Did you have a nickname when you were little?
- Where were you born?
Discussion Subjects for Seniors Are Abundant
There is a multitude of incredible discussion subjects to talk about with seniors. You have to be creative and speak with them about something which makes them feel positive.
Choose interesting discussion subjects, be smart and you’ll find seniors to be extremely friendly and great to converse with.
Hopefully, these Entertaining Things to Talk About with Seniors will help if you are struggling to figure out what to talk about with seniors. This list should help so the next time you visit your family member or loved one in an assisted living center, you can stay a little longer and really dive in deeper to get to know them. If you have questions about how to get your loved one into an assisted living for disabled facility please feel free to contact the friendly team at Optimum Personal Care today at 281.565.4144, or you can fill out this easy inquiry form here to schedule a tour, find out more about our services and amenities, and discuss our all-inclusive pricing options.