Hello May and welcome, warmer days! With Mother’s Day around the corner, and in honour of Speech and Hearing Month in May, I would like to start a conversation about the place of communication in our lives and how we can make it easier, especially with those we love. Every time you interact with others, advocate for yourself, or express your needs, you are creating a message and sharing it with someone else. There is no doubt that communication is a part of our day-to-day lives, but we tend to forget just what a powerful of a tool it can be. We also may overlook the fact that communication is not limited to speech. It also includes hearing, signing, seeing, and even the emotions that we show.
Communication is key to good relationships
Every relationship needs its share of communication to function properly. If one of the parties has cognitive, hearing, or speech impairments, communication can easily become a burden and lead to frustration for everyone involved. Moreover, a lack of communication can soon lead to loneliness. Fortunately, we can all make use of some basic communication strategies to support meaningful communication. Check this communication tool built by Kristy Findlay and Geneviève Fily-Paré, speech therapists with the Centre Mosaïque.
Speaking of which, have you ever wondered how speech therapy could help older adults? In addition to speech-related problems, speech therapy can also help you with memory and swallowing problems, two important pillars of effective communication. Furthermore, speech-language pathologists and audiologists can both provide you with tools to support communication in your daily life.
Whether you are curious about the benefits of speech therapy or would benefit from some advice, feel free to join our Communication & Aging Wellness Café on Tuesday, May 16, 1:30 pm with Kristy Findlay, speech therapist (also known as speech-language pathologist).
A special message about mothers
As Mother’s Day approaches, I want to take a minute to celebrate every mother figure out there. I am sending a special message of love to mothers whose relationship with their children is poor or strained, to mothers who have lost their children, and to those who are estranged from their children, as well as to mothers without children. My thoughts are also with everyone who has lost their mother along the way.
Lastly, just a reminder that if you are an English-speaking older adult or a caregiver in the Capitale-Nationale region, please know that I am here to provide you with personalized advice and support. Feel free to reach out to me by email at afortinmaltais@jhpartners.net or call me at 581-446-7476.
Enjoy the spring, and take good care of yourselves,
Anaïs
