Become a Good Listener for Your Loved One

Assisted living can be hard for your once independent loved one. A lack of support can be detrimental to your loved one’s experience in assisted living, so it’s important to make sure you are supporting your loved one. One way you can do this, is just to listen to them. Listen to them talk about their struggles, be there for them, and help them adjust to their new life. Today, we’re going to talk about listening and how you can support your loved one during hard times.

Why is Listening so Important?

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, approximately 18% of seniors are affected by depression. However, all seniors are affected by the limited number of activities they can do, which can lead to general sadness and loneliness in anyone. You can help your loved one feel less lonely and more loved by sitting and listening to them. By making yourself more available than the impending loneliness your loved one may be feeling, you can help them feel better and more appreciated, and fend off feelings of loneliness and depression. If you find that you can’t be there to listen to them when you want to, it’s time to look in to local assisted living so your loved one can always be heard.

How Can I Listen Better?

There are many things you can do to become a better listener for your loved one. For starters, validate them. This allows their voice to be heard and accepted, and helps them feel more valid in return. You can also ask more about what your loved on is talking about. Chances are, your loved on is telling a story about their life when they were younger, and asking them more about the story can help them feel nostalgic and happy reliving the memory.

More ways to be a better listener are: encouraging elaboration on a problem or emotion, name their emotions if they’re having trouble putting feelings to words, rephrase a situation in your own words to show that you’re listening, reflecting on what your loved on is saying, and summarizing to clarify what your loved one said.

Who Will Listen to My Loved One When I’m Not There?

To assure that your loved on is always listened to, find an assisted living home in Fulton, MD. At Kenwood Care, we have 24/7 assistance that will always be there to listen to your loved one when they want to talk. Contact us today for more information about how we can help you and your loved one.