Elderspeak
Elderspeak refers to a specific mode of communication that individuals often adopt when speaking to elderly people, characterized by a simplified vocabulary, slower speech, and a singsong tone, similar to the way adults speak to young children. This speech pattern frequently includes the use of terms of endearment, such as "honey" or "sweetie," instead of formal titles or the individual’s name. While it may be intended as a form of kindness or assistance, many older adults find it patronizing and disrespectful, which can have negative impacts on their self-esteem and willingness to engage with caregivers. The concept of elderspeak has roots in research from the 1960s, with significant studies conducted in the 1980s examining its effects on older adults. Experts warn that using elderspeak often stems from ageist assumptions about the capabilities of seniors, leading to a lack of respect for their individuality and dignity. The implications of this communication style extend beyond personal interactions, affecting the mental and emotional well-being of older adults. To foster more respectful communication, experts recommend addressing elders by their preferred names and using a normal tone and pace of speech, avoiding assumptions based solely on age. Overall, awareness of elderspeak and its consequences is crucial as the population of older adults continues to grow.
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Elderspeak
Elderspeak describes the speech adjustments people make when speaking to someone who is an older person. The speech patterns adopted are similar to those used by adults when speaking to small children. Elderspeak includes using terms such as "honey" or "sweetie" in place of names, speaking more slowly, using simple words and sentence structures, and speaking in a singsong tone. Although this type of speech is common, even among individuals who are trained to work with older people, these older people report that it bothers them. Researchers say it is demeaning and can lower older people's self-esteem. It can also cause seniors to become angry and resist instructions from caregivers.
Background
In 1964, American linguist Charles Ferguson was among the first to draw attention to the idea of people using the form of speech commonly called "baby talk" to speak to senior adults and even animals. Ferguson called this form of communication "secondary baby talk" and defined it as the type of speech commonly used only to speak to young children and not considered appropriate to use in normal adult conversation. He noted that speaking to young children slowly in higher voices and with simpler words and sentences is a nearly universal concept. Ferguson began looking into the reasons adults use this childish form of speech in other circumstances.
The term elderspeak was first used in 1986 by Gillian Cohen and Dorothy Faulkner. The two psychologists published an article entitled "Does 'Elderspeak' Work? The Effect of Intonation and Stress on Comprehension and Recall of Spoken Discourse in Old Age." Cohen and Faulkner were among a number of researchers investigating the language modifications people make when speaking to senior adults and the effects the speech has on those older people.
A number of other researchers have also studied this way of speaking to senior adults, and some have labeled it as patronizing communication. Through studies of recordings of conversations between older patients and caregivers, as well as personal observation of interactions between people of different generations, researchers have determined that the practice of elderspeak is widespread even among those who are trained to deal with senior adults. Into the mid-2020s, the population of Americans aged sixty-five years or older exceeded fifty-seven million. This population is expected to continue to grow until the remaining baby boomers (individuals born between 1946 and 1964) reach this threshold, increasing the number of people who will encounter elderspeak in their daily lives.
Overview
Linguists and psychologists have identified a number of characteristics of elderspeak. People using elderspeak often:
Change the volume and tone of their voice, or use a singsong tone.
Speak slowly.
Use fewer words and more simple words and sentence structures.
Repeat words or phrases.
Phrase statements as questions ("You like chicken soup, don't you?").
Use hypocorisms, or pet names, like "sweetie" and "dear" instead of using a person's given name or a title of respect such as "sir" or "ma'am."
Elderspeak can also encompass other behaviors that diminish the dignity of the senior adult. These can include such things as speaking to the person's younger companion or adult child instead of addressing the senior adult directly. It also includes making negative assumptions about the person's ability to hear, understand, or comply with instructions.
Experts hypothesize that those who use elderspeak generally do not mean any harm; they may actually believe they are acting helpfully and even thoughtfully toward the older adult. Sometimes these adaptations are necessary, experts note, as older people do sometimes have hearing impairments or may be experiencing difficulties understanding or responding because of Alzheimer's disease or other cognitive disabilities. The issue with elderspeak, psychologists and aging experts say, is when it is engaged in universally because of the person's age without regard for the individual's ability. Some experts label this as a form of discrimination known as ageism.
Psychologists state that people who engage in ageism and elderspeak are often doing so because of a mistaken perception of the abilities and needs of older adults. They may have an image of seniors as being feeble and frail, incapable of taking care of themselves, and easily confused. While this can be true of some seniors, applying these assumptions to every older adult indicates prejudice, or preconceived notions of how all members of a particular group act, think, and speak. Researchers have determined that this prejudice is often present in those who spend the most time working with senior adults, such as medical professionals and caregivers. Some research has also indicated that people as young as in their fifties have experienced situations in which they were subjected to elderspeak.
Elderspeak and other forms of ageism are harmful because they negatively affect the dignity of older adults. Forms of ageism can also affect older people's health. Studies have indicated that when older adults are repeatedly subjected to negative images of aging, including words such as "feeble" or "forgetful," they display higher levels of stress and do worse on tests that measure memory and coordination than senior adults who do not have a negative association with aging. Those with a positive view of aging have been found to live as much as 7.5 years longer than those who develop negative ideas about old age.
In addition, studies have shown that older adults are often angered and insulted by elderspeak, even if they do experience hearing or cognitive difficulties. Some senior individuals may speak out in their own support; for example, a woman whose physician persists in speaking to her son instead of to her directly may correct the physician and remind him that she can hear and understand him. Others may simply learn to endure it, such as residents in a nursing home who experience elderspeak on a daily basis.
Recommendations for sidestepping ageism and elderspeak include the avoidance of prejudging the capabilities and needs of any individual based on age or one's own previous experience with people of that age. In addition, asking the older person how they wish to be addressed, avoiding pet names, and using a normal tone and pace of speech are ways to show respect when speaking to older persons.
Bibliography
Cohen, Gillian, and Dorothy Faulkner. "Does ‘Elderspeak’ Work? The Effect of Intonation and Stress on Comprehension and Recall of Spoken Discourse in Old Age." Language & Communication, vol. 6, no. 1-2, 1986, pp. 91-98, doi.org/10.1016/0271-5309(86)90008-X. Accessed 23 Jan. 2025.
"The Growth of the US Aging Population." Senior Care, www.seniorcare.com/featured/aging-america. Accessed 3 Jan. 2025.
Leland, John. "In 'Sweetie' and 'Dear,' a Hurt for the Elderly." The New York Times, 6 Oct. 2008, www.nytimes.com/2008/10/07/us/07aging.html. Accessed 23 Jan. 2025.
Shaw, Clarissa A., and Jean K. Gordon. "Understanding Elderspeak: An Evolutionary Concept Analysis." Innovation in Aging, vol. 5, no. 3, 2021, p. igab023, doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igab023. Accessed 23 Jan. 2025.