There’s an old piece of advice your parents may have shared with you when you were younger: “You were given two ears and one mouth so you’ll listen twice as much as you talk.”
Being a good listener is one of the nicest things you can do for someone, and listening well is the greatest gift a caregiver can give to a loved one they’re caring for at home.
Why is listening so important in your caregiver journey?
Everyone wants to be heard. The younger generation wants to be heard because they believe they have ideas that will bring about positive change. Middle-age adults want to be heard because they believe their experience in life has given them wisdom to share.
Perhaps no one wants to be heard more than seniors. Many have lost close friends and spouses that were their closest confidants. They typically spend many hours alone with their thoughts, and they want and need to share those thoughts with others. But, most importantly, they want to be truly heard.
Many of us don’t know how to be a good listener because we don’t know what a good listener is.
What makes a caregiver good at listening?
Being a good listener means you’re focusing on the person who’s speaking, not to respond or interrupt, but just to hear them out. It means you play a more passive speaking role during the conversation, but you’re actively engaging with the person speaking by using positive body language and following up with questions.
Good listeners may disagree with the person speaking, but they still listen with respect and let them have their full say. At the end of a conversation, the speaker should feel understood and respected.
5 qualities of good listeners
1. Good listeners are fully present.
They aren’t re-visiting the past or missing what’s being said because they’re thinking about what they’re going to say next.
Good listeners avoid all distractions. They’re not looking at their phone and other people. They maintain good eye contact to demonstrate and emphasize their focus.
2. Good listeners don’t jump in to give advice.
They’re not afraid to provide some input, but they don’t have the goal to “fix” whatever the person speaking needs.
Sometimes, the best listener is the person who doesn’t respond. They don’t rush to add their thoughts and insights; they know when the right time is to offer their assistance.
3. Good listeners never interrupt.
Few things are as frustrating to people speaking as being interrupted in mid-sentence. They’ve had the experience before and lost their train of thought, and the whole point of what they were saying was derailed and forgotten.
The best listeners aren’t afraid to respond or ask relevant questions to get more detail, but they’ll always wait until the speaker finishes talking.
4. Good listeners are interested in what the speaker is interested in.
They may not love sports or classical music, but they show care and support by being interested in what the speaker has to say. They listen with interest because they’re excited about what they can learn from the speaker.
5. Good listeners are patient.
Though they may have the urge to jump into the conversation and share their thoughts and opinions, they wait for the speaker to “dump their bucket” and express all of their thoughts. After letting the speaker finish, they’ll ask follow-up questions and share their opinions.
Need a Caregiver With Good Listening Skills?
Caregivers from Assisting Hands Home Care, serving the Bedford, Winchester, Concord, and Northwest Boston areas, are good listeners and love conversing with their clients. They know how important it is for seniors to express themselves, and they listen with interest and respect.
Contact us today at and ask about our personal care and companion services. Our mission is to help seniors age gracefully and safely at home. We’d be honored to be there for your loved one.
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