IMPROVING INTERGENERATIONAL HEALTH-CARE COMMUNICATION

The relationship between health care providers and their older adult p atients may suffer from miscommunication problems stemming from agist stereotyping. Stereotypes of older adults by younger adults may be rev ealed through patronizing speech--or elder-speak, which is the overacc ommodation of speech interaction. Over- and underaccommodation strateg ies based on these stereotypes are often used by young health care pro viders when communicating with older adults. As the population ages an d the demand for health care services increases, health care providers must improve their communicative effectiveness with their older patie nts. Attention to the individual needs of health care consumers, cogni zance of age or role stereotyping, and proper training of health care providers would increase communicative effectiveness and enhance the p atient-provider relationship.