Older Persons' Perceptions of the Frequency and Meaning of Elderspeak from Family, Friends, and Service Workers

Abstract

Older persons ( N = 159) were surveyed for their impressions of and experiences with elderspeak from friends, same-age family members, younger family members, familiar service workers, and unfamiliar service workers. Two dimensions, “warmth” and “superiority,” emerged in the judgments of elderspeak from all five speaker types. Respondents perceived more warmth and less superiority in elderspeak from friends than they did in elderspeak from unfamiliar service workers. Among younger seniors, elderspeak was received primarily from unfamiliar service workers, whereas among nursing home residents, elderspeak was received from all speaker types. Variation thus exists in the covert experiences of elderspeak from different sources, and in the frequency of receipt of elderspeak from different sources.