ABSTRACT
This chapter highlights the skills, knowledge and attitudes needed by carers to promote sensitive reminiscence work. Carers’ practice in their work with older people is dependent on a complex mixture of personal attributes, life experience, client-related skills and knowledge base, and a personal and organisational view of the needs and rights of older people. Familiarity with the need to listen and respond in personal and professional communications may lead to an undervaluing of the role this skill area plays in promoting sensitive reminiscence work. Listening sensitively involves the need to ‘tune in’ to individuals, in order to both hear the spoken message and pick up on emotions and meanings conveyed by nonverbal ‘language’. It is possible to undervalue the messages sent and received through non-verbal clues, including facial expressions, eye-contact and gestures. By employing verbal and non-verbal communication skills, listeners illustrate their willingness to hear distress without rushing in with quick reassurances that block expression of feelings.
