Ending Elderspeak: Embracing Aging-Friendly Communication 

Elderspeak is an adjustment of speech patterns often used when communicating with older adults. A form of ageist microagression, elderspeak is associated with negative mental and physical health outcomes, poor self-esteem, and resistance to care, particularly for people living with dementia. In our session, we’ll highlight real-life examples of elderspeak, discuss how to address it when we hear it (or speak it!), and talk about strategies to reduce its occurrence through awareness and education.

Presenters 

Deanna Thompson is a recent graduate of Portland Community College’s Gerontology program, earning a degree in Gerontology and certificates in Advocacy, Advanced Behavior & Cognitive Care, End of Life, Activity Professional, and Gerontology Professional. Before her retirement in 2019, her career was focused on project management, banking, and operations. Her interest in the aging journey and end-of-life issues was inspired by her experience assisting several older family members as they navigated living with dementia and terminal illnesses. Her current plans include seeking volunteer opportunities that center around aging, older people, and hospice. She has recently been accepted into the Long Term Care Ombudsman program in her new home state of Florida.

Jenny Sasser, Ph.D., FAGHE, is an educational gerontologist, transdisciplinary scholar, and community activist. She has worked in the field of aging for more than half her life, beginning as a nursing assistant and aging advocate before focusing on research, writing, and teaching. After completing her doctorate from Oregon State University, she joined the Marylhurst University faculty in 1997, where she was Founding Director of Gerontology and Chair of Human Sciences until 2015. Jenny is the author of the books Aging: Concepts and Controversies and Gerontology: The Basics, as well as many essays and articles. She convenes the Gero-Punk Project and offers consulting, facilitations, and presentations. Currently, she works as an educational gerontologist and is on the gerontology faculty at Portland Community College. 

Intended Audience 

This presentation is appropriate for all professionals working with older adults, whether in a long-term care or health care setting or a community center. It is also appropriate for educators, researchers, and students in the field of gerontology, sociology, social work, public health, and health sciences.

Registration Fee

• OGA members: Free!
• Non-members: $10
• Non-member students/seniors and registrants with limited financial means: $5

Why do we ask for a fee?

OGA is a non-profit organization run by volunteers. Events and donations are our main sources of income to fund our educational and networking programs.

Reduced or complementary event registration is one of the great benefits for OGA members! If you like our educational program - we strive to offer at least one event per month - becoming a member will pay off quickly! To learn more about OGA membership, please visit our Membership page.

However, we understand that many of us are struggling to make ends meet these days. No one will be turned away! If you cannot afford $5 at this moment, please contact us at [email protected] - thanks to the generous donations of OGA members and friends throughout the year, we can cover a small number of registrations for each event.

Please note that we offer CEUs only for our annual conference in October, not for our regular events. However, we are happy to issue a Certificate of Attendance upon request for those who attend this webinar for its entire length. To request one, please send us an email after the event.

PLEASE REGISTER HERE to receive the Zoom link. Should you encounter any difficulties registering online, please don't hesitate to reach out! Please note that payment via check is currently not possible through the online form! If you cannot or do not wish to pay electronically, please do not complete the form. Instead, contact us at [email protected], and we will guide you through the offline payment process.