Sometimes it may be challenging to strike up a conversation with your elderly loved ones. It can seem like you don’t have much in common and have nothing to talk about, especially if you’re younger. And if you’re in charge of providing elder care, you might spend all your time with the elderly person in your life, and your go-to conversation topics are getting stale. When you grew up in very different worlds, it can be difficult to think of new questions to ask seniors.
We’re here to help. 15 questions to ask seniors have been compiled by us to help you start those conversations. The following questions are meant to get you and your family laughingly recalling the past. Some are more serious, hoping to start a more serious discussion. All of these might be excellent ways to begin significant conversations with an elderly loved one.
You’ll hopefully give your conversations new life and create new bonds if you use even a few of these questions to ask seniors. Let’s get into it.
- What do you remember about the place you grew up in? …
- What was your first job? …
- Do you know the history of your family name, crest, or origin? …
- What do you remember about your parents and grandparents? …
- How did you meet your spouse?
Interviewing Older Adults
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Meaningful questions to ask elderly family members to build relationships
I only saw my grandparents twice a year when I was a child, and whenever I had the chance to be with them, I would beg to hear their stories. My grandfather was open and enjoyed telling jokes about his crazy mishaps, such as getting stuck on top of a train car during the 1951 Kansas City flood. Or how he drove Elvis Presley through Germany when he was in his 20s
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What was your first job? Favorite job?
Asking seniors this question will really show how much the world has changed over the past few decades. You are welcome to inquire about your elderly loved one’s employment history, including their age at the time of employment. Finding out which of their various jobs throughout their lives was their favorite can also be entertaining. Particularly if your loved one has held a number of different jobs throughout their life, they might enjoy the process of sorting through them all to choose a favorite and discussing those pleasant memories with you.
You can also learn about the senior in your life’s least favorite job if they’re open to discussing it. There could be some really good stories in there. Bonus points if they tell you how much they made.
FAQ
How do I interview an elderly person?
Avoid yes/no questions. Asking about others, such as their ancestors, or sharing tales about objects and photographs are good places to start. An interview does not need to be formal. You could begin by posing a few straightforward inquiries, then expand on them over the course of several meetings with your elder.
How do you interview an elderly relative?
- How was your name chosen?
- What were things like when you were growing up?
- What are your most fond memories of childhood?
- What kind of house did you grown up in?
- What is your favorite memory as a child?
- What do you know about your family’s heritage?
What questions should I ask an elderly parent?
- Do they still reside there, have they visited, and what do you remember about the neighborhood where you grew up?
- Which invention from your lifetime are you most amazed by? .
- What’s the weirdest fad you remember? …
- What was your favorite movie when you were younger? …
- What was your first job?
What are 2 main problems that elderly people face?
- Ageism and a lost sense of purpose. …
- Financial insecurity. …
- Difficulty with everyday tasks and mobility. …
- Finding the right care provision. …
- Access to healthcare services. …
- End of life preparations.
