Not a fast clear communication

[offroad]

Am noticing that relatives I deal with are not as fast a communicator as I am. They might miss 10% of the conversation. Sometimes even more than that if shocked or tired or stressed. And guess what doctors and nurse do? They communicate at 100 miles per hour (too fast) so you get half of the details.

How does average Joe Sixpack or average joe the plumber deal with this all? Flood of information at a stressful time?

Just the point is to find several advocate for yourself in every situation. No person is an island. You need the backup of having someone to bounce thoughts ideas and information off of. Even if it's an online friend, try to reach out and make it more real. Maintain contact with good folks, even if circumstance limits that communication.

They might pick up what you fail to see.

 

[Almost There]

My elderly mother misses more than 10% of any conversation these days. She refuses to admit to a hearing problem but unless I speak slowly, clearly and within a few feet of her she misses it all! She's also been 'hard of understanding' for at least a couple of decades now!

When it comes to dealing with professionals like doctors, I guess I'm really fortunate. When I repatriated 8 years ago the first thing I did after getting settled was to go searching for a gerontologist for Mom. It took a long waiting list to get her in to see him but he's my first line of defense with any medical or aging problems that she experiences. He deals exclusively with the elderly so he's accustomed to speaking slowly and gently.

If it's hospital staff, I agree that a patient of any age needs to have an advocate available as much as possible to assist the patient with the hospital process and staff. The last time Mom was hospitalized I ended up spending as much as 12 hours a day at the hospital to make sure that she got the care she needed.

 

[cyndi]

I learned years ago to carry a tape recorder to the doctor's office. It's so much easier now with a smart phone.

 

[East]

I haven't really had trouble with people missing details on what I have said unless they're of advanced age, such as my grandparents before they passed.

Both were on medication for it, though.

I can see how people who are more distracted and flooded with information as well as taxed might not have the best attention spans and miss more important elements of a quality conversation, though. That is quite different. I am lucky enough to have a few people I bounce ideas off of and talk with on a daily basis. It hasn't always been that way.