Today the project team held a training lecture on "The Art of Companionship for the Elderly - Interpersonal Interaction Skills Training" at the Yonghe District Minquan Community Development Association in New Taipei City. Psychologist Chen Meiyi shared with everyone what we need in daily dealings with the elderly. Pay attention to the physical and mental changes of the elderly, and make appropriate adjustments and coping strategies. The psychologist from Meiyi focused on two aspects of the lecture, namely skills and interaction. In terms of skills, the psychologist from Meiyi shared that it is first necessary to consider the individual differences of the elderly and set clear, specific and feasible goals to stimulate their learning motivation. and willingness, and carry out the following steps in a step-by-step manner from simple to complex: (1) Teaching: first set up a simple situation and explain the problems that may be encountered and the techniques that will be used. (2) Demonstration and imitation: Teach the elderly appropriate coping skills by demonstrating how to deal with certain situations. The situations are from simple to complex, specific and step-by-step. (3) Role-playing: Let the elderly understand the situation that needs to be learned before role-playing, and then the caregiver and the elderly do the actual drill.(4) Feedback and social enhancement: Provide encouragement for the actual performance of the elderly to improve their willingness to learn. Feedback should be specific and positive. Usually, immediate feedback is provided after each role play to strengthen the understanding and understanding of social functions. Learning effectiveness. (five ) Emphasis on repeated practice: using step-by-step learning methods and live drills, emphasizing "re-learning" of new behaviors to improve personal social skills. Integrate skills into daily life, become a part of life, and continue to provide encouragement, support and affirmation. In terms of interaction, to communicate well with the elderly, one must grasp the "eight principles". These principles will involve attitude, speech skills and many small details that must be paid attention to. (1) Listen more: Elderly people like to express more, so the most important thing is to help them speak freely, give them time, let them speak slowly, and listen more to what they say. (2) Pay more attention to your facial expressions: a heartfelt and sincere expression is most important, rather than just coping. Smiling more is important. (3) Listen for the other person: Listen not to answer his words, but to understand him. Try to understand his motivation for speaking? (4) Give sufficient time to respond: As we age, our body functions deteriorate, and it is common for us to be unable to walk or move, and to speak slowly. Sometimes it is okay to give the other party more time to react, and then add more time until the other party has no response at all.(5) Avoid disputes: This is the most common and most lethal mistake everyone makes. Sometimes, it is not that the two parties cannot communicate, but the result of insisting on one's own opinions. Take a step back first to empathize with the other person’s feelings, and then Slow communication will be more appropriate. (6) Don’t jump to judgment: listen more, empathize more with the other person, and then respond to their feelings. Don’t rush to criticize the other person or their life events. The more you put yourself in the other person's perspective and the more to the point, the better. (7) Don’t mind contacting him: when chatting, hold his hand more often to make him feel safe. This is a kind of encouragement and he will want to interact with you more; nodding and patting on the shoulder are all benign. Encouragement and contact!(8) Make good use of objects to help express: This not only helps us express, but also allows students to Young people try to do this. It is often more effective for elderly people who have hearing impairment and have difficulty moving their hands. Try asking him to point to something, or we point and ask him: "Are you referring to this?" and nodding in response are both good ways. The project team hopes that through the "Art of Companionship for the Elderly - Interpersonal Interaction Skills Training" training seminar, the elderly, caregivers, teachers, and students can try to communicate and listen more in life, family, and work. Criticize less, react Slower and more empathetic, getting along with others will no longer be a problem. There may be setbacks at the beginning, but over time, the other party will definitely feel our intentions. The planning team looks forward to providing everyone with psychological care. Do your best to bring about changes for yourself.

Implemented by Center for Teaching and Learning Development
Date: 2023/10/16