AN EVALUATION OF THE<i>KEEP ON TALKING</i>PROGRAM FOR MAINTAINING COMMUNICATION SKILLS INTO OLD AGE

Abstract

Communication skills change with age as a result of sensory deficits, memory loss, and increasing word finding difficulties. The Keep on Talking program (L. Hickson, H. Barnett, L. Worrall, & E. Yiu, 1994) was developed to assist older people to develop their own strategies for maintaining communication skills into old age. Two hundred and fifty‐two healthy older people were recruited from the community and were assessed on a battery of communication assessments on entry to the study and at 1 year after entry. The experimental group (n = 120) participated in the 5‐week group Keep on Talking program run by volunteers. A further 130 control subjects were assessed only. The short‐term effectiveness of the program was evaluated using a short knowledge based and attitudinal questionnaire and qualitative written feedback. At the 1‐year follow up, subjects were also asked whether they had taken any action as a result of the project. Results concluded that there was a significant difference between the number of correct questionnaire responses on the knowledge based items and the ratings on the attitudinal items pre‐ and postpro‐gram questionnaire for the experimental subjects. Qualitative written feedback was positive with many participants remarking on the amount of information that they had acquired. Forty‐eight experimental and 69 control subjects (n = 117) were assessed 1 year later, and there was a significant difference between the groups in terms of the number of subjects who reported having taken action as a result of the program. The Keep on Talking program increased knowledge about communication, produced a positive change in attitude toward the importance of communication, and encouraged participants to take action to maintain their communication skills. Maintaining communication skills may prevent social isolation. This simple 5‐hour group program has been effective in empowering participants to maintain their communication skills as they age.