General Listening Quiz

[ Note from Randall: My mother passed away on January 22, 2017, about a week after I finished this recording, and in memory of her, I invite visitors to learn about her life by doing this listening activity. ]

Randall’s mother has Alzheimer’s disease, and his family is trying to do the best they can to provide for her comfort. Such health conditions affect many senior citizens in our communities. What special care centers are there in your hometown in your country that provide special care for these individuals? In what cases do families care for the elderly? Under what conditions are special care centers needed?

1. Most older adults are happier living at home than in assisted living.
2. Families should care for elderly parents themselves whenever possible.
3. Assisted living communities provide better medical care than family members can.
4. Moving into senior care should be the older person’s choice, not the family’s.
5. It’s better to plan for senior care early, even if it feels uncomfortable.
6. Technology can help seniors stay independent longer.
7. Assisted living is too expensive for many families.
8. Seniors living with others their own age feel less lonely.
9. Caregivers need just as much support as the seniors they care for.
10. A good senior care facility should feel like home, not a hospital.

“pull through” = recover from an illness
“Grandma had a serious accident in her car, but the doctors think that she’s going to pull through.”

“run in the family” = to be common in the family
“The doctors said that this disorder might run in the family.“

Listen to the recording and answer the questions. (See transcript)

Here are some words and expressions that appear in the recording:

• orphanage (noun): a home for children whose parents have died
  – My parents are going to build an orphanage next year.
• be committed (verb): dedicated or loyal to something or someone
  – Maria and James are very committed to their children. They always spend time with them on the weekends.
• disorder (noun): a health condition that is not normal
  – The doctors are doing a lot of tests to determine the cause of the disorder.
• cognitive (adjective): having the mental ability to think and learn
  – The disease is having a negative effect on her cognitive ability to speak.
• devastating (adjective): causing extreme emotional pain or harm
  – The loss of their mom has had a devastating impact on the family.
• carry on (verb): continue doing something
  – It is often difficult to carry on with your work when you are worried about the poor health of your family.
• appetite (noun): a desire for food
  – Maria’s sister has lost her appetite due to her illness, and she hasn’t eaten much for three days.
• excursion (noun): a short trip for fun or pleasure
  – The hospital tries to take patients out for short excursions whenever the weather is nice.
• lighten (verb): make less heavy or difficult
  – Some of the neighbors have donated meals and money to lighten the financial load on our family.
• burden (noun): something that is difficult to do or deal with
  – Paying for hospital bills can be a heavy burden on families without the means to pay for them.

Do the vocabulary quizzes with the words from the conversation for more practice:

• Mixed-Up Sentence   |   Sentence and Vocabulary Matching

Describe your relationship with a family member or friend who has suffered from the effects of age. What were the first signs of dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease? How did the family deal with the situation, financially, physically, and emotionally?

Use the internet to find the answers to some of these questions about Alzheimer’s Disease:

1. What is the difference between Alzheimer’s disease and dementia?
2. What are the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease?
3. What are the causes of Alzheimer’s disease?
4. What tests are used to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease?
5. Why is it important to detect Alzheimer’s as early as possible?
6. What are the stages of Alzheimer’s?
7. Are there genetic risk factors for the disease?
8. What is the average age of people who have Alzheimer’s?
9. Do men or women have a higher chance of developing the disease?
10. How can the disease be treated?
11. What advice should family members be given to help them deal with family members with Alzheimer’s?
12. What is the life expectancy of someone with Alzheimer’s?
13. Is there anything you can do to reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s?