Spending time with a senior citizen who has an acquired communication disorder - such as a hearing problem or speech impairment from a stroke - can be challenging. However, there are many ways to overcome obstacles in order to enjoy a positive relationship.

Following are tips for successfully dealing with some of the most common communication difficulties.

Setting the stage - some general advice

-Limit the number of participants. One-to-one conversations are ideal.

-Choose a quiet area to minimize distractions.

-Ensure you have the person's full attention before initiating conversation. Sit close by, facing them.

-Show interest by maintaining eye contact and leaning forward. Be conscious of your facial expression and other body language.

-Be prepared for multiple forms of communication, such as gesturing, pointing to an alphabet, word or picture board, drawing and writing.

Hearing impairment

-Pick a location with good acoustics - rooms with carpeting and curtains are better than those with lots of hard surfaces.

-Sit with your face to the light and be careful not to cover it with your hands.

-Ask if one ear is better than the other, and speak to that side.

-Lean in when it's your turn to speak.

-Use a loud voice but avoid shouting. Speak slowly and clearly, but don't exaggerate.

-Keep your voice low-pitched.

-Be succinct about expressing yourself, and use short sentences.

-Read the person's non-verbal expressions, since some hearing-impaired people are hesitant to ask others to repeat themselves. If it looks like they didn't pick up what you said, rephrase it.

Speech impairment

Defective speech due to impairment of the tongue or other key muscles is known as dysarthria. It involves difficulty pronouncing words; however, language abilities may otherwise be intact. Follow these tips to help with communication:

-Choose subjects of special interest, to motivate the person in case they are self-conscious about engaging in conversation.

-Encourage them to slow down if necessary, in order to pronounce each syllable.

-Be patient and remain calm, allowing extra time for the person to get their words out. Don't interrupt or try to finish sentences unless they become really frustrated.

-Be attuned to non-verbal language that can give clues to the factual or emotional content of the message.

-Summarize the message to check if you heard it right.

-Ask them to repeat the message if you could not make it out. Don't pretend that you understood. (They can usually tell if you're just being polite.)

-Ask questions that require a Yes or No answer so they can simply nod or shake their head.

-Don't correct every error.

-If the person is able to write, have a notepad and pen handy as a backup.