Listen first, then respond
There is an old proverb that asks why we have two ears but only one mouth.
Turns out, listening is a skill much in demand. All too often we see a person for what we think they are and omit to see them for who they really are. This is true in the many different ways in which we allow generalities and biases to influence how we see and interact with the world – when we stop listening. All too often how we see the elderly is no different.
The answer to the question that old proverb postulates, as we all know, is that we have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak. When we stop listening, when we see people and make generalities based on how they look – their skin color, their size, their clothes or their age (or what we think is their age) – we marginalize our ability to see the uniqueness of each of us and instead start objectifying to fit pre-conceived, often times ill-conceived, stereotypes. When we use these biases and stereotypes to drive our decision-making, we can wind up with the wrong conclusions and make decisions that don’t fit the unique set of inputs available to us. Our actions lose relevance.
We know this but still sometimes prejudge based on our experience, education and the innate biases that each of us have. We are only human after all, you might say. But in acting this way, we are denying our very humanity. The richness in life can be found in understanding and appreciating the many differences between us while still, despite these difference, sharing common perspectives and values. Prejudging people or situations based on our own predefined logic framework, no matter how well intentioned we may be, can lead to the wrong decisions. Or worse.
For too long we have focused on the healthcare system rather than the individual. The result has been that, while costs have escalated, real concerns and priorities were not adequately addressed. Imagine how different things might be if, instead of characterizing people by society’s preconceived perceptions (and mis-perceptions), or by what might be reimbursable in a dysfunctional healthcare system, we decided to listen to the older adult first and then act. By better understanding the dimensions of health at the individual level, we can better understand what matters most to each older person and then act to address their concerns to enable them to live better as they live longer.
Providing care, either in an institutional setting or at-home, is one of the 21st century’s great callings. With an ever increasing over 60 age demographic, never has the need for care workers around the world been greater. And with the World Health Organization projecting the number of those over 60 to double by 2050 and reach 2 billion, this need will be magnified in the future. To meet this need, we need better training and education for care workers and we need tools that help drive a person-centered understanding to better meet older adult’s needs.
At EasyCare Academy a person centric approach is the lens through which we see the world. Fundamentally, we listen first and then respond. This principle is so core to our values that we named our first solution for the market RESPOND. Our experience has shown that starting with an understanding of the perspective of each individual can deliver profound results.
RESPOND is a digitally-enabled, person-centred assessment and intervention tool, based on 29 years of research and development across nearly 50 countries. It has been used in research studies involving more than a million people across diverse geographies, cultures and incomes. RESPOND characterizes four discrete dimensions: biologic, social, psychological and environment. Over the years, this tool has been revised and enhanced to become progressively more effective at engaging with older people to help bring to light their concerns. RESPOND is designed to better understand specific concerns and priorities with respect to health and well-being and then create a personalized care plan in response.
In the newly released RESPOND 4.1, the score which the tool generates has been expanded to provide an improved understanding of the barriers to health and quality of life through a WISH score. The WISH score provides a frame of reference which can be followed over time to develop new insights to improve health in the broader context, consistent with the World Health Organization’s definition of health being more than just the absence of disease. The well-being score is designed to elucidate concerns related to both psychological well-being and physical health. The independence score assesses the level of support needed in performing activities of daily living. The social engagement score focuses on understanding impairments which reduce social connectiveness. The health score is focused on evidence-based activities that promote health in old-age.
When we listen first, we can learn and then respond in a way that is most impactful. Through the work done to date, we have seen that loneliness, financial security and bodily pain are consistently issues of greatest concern. Addressing these issues can then have a significant impact on quality of life. However, to do so requires a broader perspective and a richer set of resources. RESPOND was designed to uncover these kind of issues, as told by each elderly person, and then harness the local resources needed to address them.
By taking the time to first ask each older person what their concerns and priorities are with respect to their health and well-being, we can better understand how to focus our actions more effectively to have an even greater impact. In doing so we can directly improve quality of life and make the world a friendlier and better place for those to whom society owes its greatest debt of gratitude.
EasyCare Academy is a social impact company dedicated to turning those words into action. We want to make the world a better place, one person at-a-time, because in the end, every life matters.
We’re on a mission to change the future of ageing.
Join us.