How to Start a Conversation with a Senior

June 13, 2023

Sometimes its hard to hold a conversation with our aging loved ones. There are many reasons why having a good conversation with a senior can be challenging. Seniors have aging body’s that may not always respond the way they expect them to, which may create hesitation on their end. Sometimes having a few conversation starters in your back pocket can help spark a lasting conversation with someone you love, or even someone you just met for the first time.

Here’s a fewquestions you could use while talking with a senior.

What did your parents do for a living?
Where did you grow up?
Did you have any close childhood friends that you still think fondly of?
How did you meet your husband/wife? Was it love at first sight?
What different jobs have you had growing up? What one was your favorite?
Did you have a favorite activity/hobby growing up?
If you could go anywhere, do anything, what would you choose to do?

If you notice a senior talking more about one specific thing, it usually means they’re interested in that subject. Try asking more about it to really get them talking. Reminiscing is a great way to work on their cognitive abilities and it also makes them feel like someone cares. Knowing their life matters and is interesting to those around them makes them feel good inside.

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