Communication Skills among Older Adults at Geriatric Home in Baghdad City: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Background: Older adults’ communication skills is a vital to evaluate the needs of elderly patients and to provide care that is guided to the individual patient’s needs, however, in Iraq, this topic received a limited interests.Objective: To assess the communication skills of older adults in geriatric home in Baghdad city, Iraq, and to determine the relationships between the older adult communication skills and their socio-demographic characteristics.Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among ۱۰۰ geriatric adults and data was collected conveniently from two geriatric homes in Baghdad city. Data was collected using a demographic and the communication skills for elderly (۲۹-items) check-list technique. Data was analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistical tests in SPSS software version ۲۶. Mean and standard deviation, chi-square test was used to determine the significant relationship between the communication skills among elderly adult age and their demographic characteristics at P<۰.۰۵.Results: In total, ۱۰۰ older adults were evaluated, being ۷۲% male, ۴۴% aged ۷۰ years and older, and ۶۲% were married, ۲۲% were singles, ۴۶% qualified as a high school graduate, and ۴۸% were jobless. In general, there is an acceptable level of total communication skills (۶۷.۶%) of elderly in geriatric homes. There is an acceptable level of the participants ability to listening, and talking skills with a Mean (SD)= ۲.۲۲±۷۳.۹% and ۲.۱۵±۷۱.۶۶%, respectively. Skills of thinking was with Mean (SD)= ۲.۱۱±۷۰.۳۳% and diplomatic and tactic skills with Mean (SD)= ۲.۰۰±۶۶.۷۶%. There is a correlation between communication skills and adulConclusion: Older adults have an acceptable level of communication skills, particularly in the listening, talking, thinking and diplomatic and tactic skills aspects. The higher the educational qualification, the better communication performance.Recommendations: Successful communication skills in older adults could be achieved by establishing a regular training and learning programs and maintain communications by geriatric nurses.

Keywords:

Communication skills , older adults , elderly , geriatric.