News & Events

Talking to Older People

We love nothing more than talking to our residents about their life histories, listening to their stories and getting their opinion on news and events. After all, brilliant relationships form the basis of the care in all of our homes. But, the rise of the internet has meant that older people are often overlooked when it comes to advice by a younger generation who are more accustomed to searching for answers on the web.

Almost nine out of every 10 UK grandparents claimed their grandchildren failed to ask them for advice for simple tasks, instead turning to online channels such as Google (GOOG), YouTube and Wikipedia for information.

A survey of 1,500 grandparents also found that children chose to research what life was like for their elderly relatives in their youth rather than asking the grandparents themselves, with just 33 percent of grandparents having been asked: ‘What was it like when you were young?’.”

Almost two-thirds of grandparents felt their traditional roles were becoming less important in modern family life, with 96 percent claiming that they asked far more questions of their own grandparents when they were young.

With that in mind, we’ve put together a list of questions perfect for asking your older relatives. Get that conversation started today!

Questions for the elders:

  • Can you give me an example of a difficult or stressful experience that you’ve been through and what you learned from it?
  • What are the 3 most important life lessons you’ve learnt?
  • In your opinion, what’s the secret to a happy marriage?
  • Is there anything you know now about living a happy and successful life that you didn’t know when you were younger?
  • As you look back over your life, do you see any “turning points” (a key event or experience) that changed over the course of your life or set you on a different path?
  • What would you say are the major values or principles that you live by?

Add your own!

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