Everyone is familiar with the tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon. Every so often, it happens during a casual conversation at the grocery store; other times, it strikes while giving a lecture in front of hundreds of people.
Whatever the case, it's when you're in the middle of a sentence and suddenly can't find the next word, a moment of word finding difficulty. It feels like it's right there, but you just can't get your brain to connect to your tongue.
While such moments are sometimes referred to as senior moments, everyone can experience these word-finding difficulties. According to Meredith A Shafto and others, tip-of-the-tongue experiences become more frequent with normal aging because of difficulties retrieving a word's full phonology.
Are you interested in reading more about this topic? Read on for more details on word-finding difficulty and how it affects seniors here in Marysville, CA.
Word finding difficulty is the awkward pause in the middle of a sentence while trying to remember a word. Often, these words are nouns. For example, you might struggle to remember somebody's name or the word for a common household object.
These lapses are more frequent for seniors because the brain's processing speed and capacity for memory eventually worsen. Thankfully, the word finding difficulty that results from this is usually nothing to worry about.
Studies have shown that older adults are a bit slower to recall names or find the correct word, but in most cases, their vocabulary, knowledge, and language skills in aging remain intact.
For senior caregivers and loved ones, this has important implications. Just because somebody is struggling to find words doesn't mean they're experiencing cognitive impairment.
In some cases, the problem is more social in nature. If someone is criticized for not being able to find words, they might develop social anxiety, causing them to make mistakes and further increasing anxiety, creating a feedback loop.
Caregivers and loved ones can assist seniors experiencing word-finding difficulties by not making it into a big deal and by not making them feel embarrassed. It's essential to note that word finding difficulty can also be situational.
Many circumstantial and individual factors can affect someone's ability to recall words. For example, if somebody hasn't slept well, they might struggle with speaking much more than usual. In older adults, hearing loss can also play a role; it's more difficult to participate in conversations when it's not clear what others are saying.
Often, all it takes is a reduction in stress to alleviate word-finding problems. However, we must differentiate between the word problems of normal aging and more severe language problems. A senior who frequently can't find common words and substitutes strange or nonsensical words could indicate problems like:
According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, aphasia is a language disorder most typically caused by stroke or brain injury and can lead to trouble finding words or producing nonsensical speech.
It's all about frequency and severity. If somebody struggles to find a word just a couple of times a day, it's not really something to worry about. But if suddenly they're struggling a lot, it could indicate an underlying health concern.
According to the National Institute on Aging, occasional forgetfulness can be a normal part of getting older, but frequent or worsening memory and language problems should be checked by a healthcare professional.
So, how can you help seniors cope with word-finding difficulties? Thankfully, there are many effective strategies and senior communication tips to improve communication and reduce frustration.
It's important to consider every possibility of potential word-finding difficulty. In some cases, the problem isn't in the brain, as people tend to assume, but in one of the senses.
For example, somebody with impaired hearing or vision might struggle with language, not because they can't think of the word, but because they can't see the object they are trying to talk about. In these cases, things like getting hearing aids or an updated glasses prescription can do wonders.
The key to effective communication strategies is to offer encouragement and be supportive. Try to avoid critical remarks like:
These only serve to make seniors feel more self-conscious, which can severely exacerbate word-finding issues.
Senior living communities are well-versed in all kinds of word-finding difficulty. Residents in these communities are affected by the typical word-finding difficulty that affects people more in retirement.
They also have memory care residents, many facing Alzheimer's, language challenges, and serious communication impairments. While some word-finding difficulty is expected, those who struggle frequently could benefit from a change in living environment.
Here at Marbella Marysville, we help seniors deal with word finding difficulty and other dementia and speech issues by offering round-the-clock personalized support and by having varied activities and events that consider cognitive, sensory, or physical impairments.
If you're interested in learning more about how we support seniors in living their best lives, please contact us to schedule a tour of our supportive community.