Fun, engaging topics for conversations with older adults!
By chatting with older adults, you can get a sense of how their body and mood are that day.
This time, we’re introducing conversation starters—questions about nostalgic Showa-era memories—that can help increase interactions.
Having photos or videos makes things easier to understand and helps the conversation expand even more.
It’s also great for sparking lively nostalgic conversations among older adults themselves, so we recommend it.
We’re also sharing ways to offer encouragement that can boost motivation, so please try incorporating them during meals, bathing, and other daily situations!
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- [For Seniors] Liven Things Up with Trick Riddles You Answer!
- Introducing old-fashioned words that are useful for conversations with elderly people!
Fun conversation starters that liven things up! Conversations with seniors (21–30)
Childhood story
Tips for communication are covered in many places, like books and the internet.
Among them, one effective topic is “stories from childhood.” Why is that? The answer is simple: older adults have all experienced being children.
You can’t talk about things you don’t know or aren’t interested in, but you can talk about what you’ve lived through.
For instance, you might say, “Kids nowadays seem to play like this.
When I was a kid, I played such-and-such.” If you share a recent example or your own experience, they’ll likely respond with, “When I was a child…” and tell you their stories.
Favorite subject(s) in school
When you were students, what subjects did you like? What were you good at? These questions are among the topics that can really liven up a conversation with older people.
Happy memories—like getting good grades and being praised by teachers or even receiving awards—remain vivid no matter how old we get.
You might also hear stories that seem almost unthinkable today, such as going to school while taking care of younger siblings.
Such stories can make us realize how fortunate and comfortable our current era is, and remind us to be grateful.
What I enjoy doing with my grandchild is
Grandchildren are the kind of presence that makes grandpas and grandmas naturally squint their eyes with joy.
For most people, their precious, adorable grandchildren are so dear that they’d say they’re “not even a pain to have in their eye.” How about we all talk about the things you enjoy doing together with your grandchildren? Do you go along with what they like—watching their favorite TV shows, coloring, taking walks—or do you draw on your life experience to offer stimulating activities you think they’ll enjoy? We might just get a glimpse of everyone’s grandpa power and grandma power through this discussion.
What I remember from old TV shows is
In today’s world, slim and vivid LCD TVs are the norm, but a few decades ago, bulky cathode-ray tube (CRT) televisions were mainstream, and up until the 1960s many TVs were black-and-white.
With that in mind, here’s a conversation topic you can use when interacting with older adults: “What television programs from the past left a strong impression on you?” Nowadays we have all kinds of shows—music programs, variety shows, travel shows—but what were TV programs like back then? By asking, you might also learn about the person’s preferences, such as their favorite singers or actors.
Memories of summer vacations from long ago
Summer vacation has always been one of the things children look forward to most, both now and in the past.
This time, as a conversation theme with older adults, we’d like to introduce “Memories of Summer Vacation in the Old Days.” Mornings started with radio calisthenics, followed by school pool time, catching insects and fishing—fun memories of playing in nature and with friends.
At the same time, some children helped with the family business, looked after younger siblings, and supported the household as valuable helping hands.
There’s much to learn from the experiences of older generations, so take this opportunity to ask them about their stories!
What past trends or fads left a strong impression on you?
These days, with the internet at the center of our lives, all kinds of information are shared on social media, and trends take shape at an incredible speed.
So this time, as a conversation topic to liven up chats with older people, we’d like to suggest: “What past fads or booms left a strong impression on you?” Back when entertainment wasn’t as abundant as it is now, popular movies and songs had a powerful influence, and hit songs of the time were so popular that “everyone in the country could sing them.” Give it a try in your conversations!
Daily habits
On the internet, content that showcases the daily lives of celebrities and other well-known people is quite popular.
So this time, why don’t we all have a conversation on the theme of “daily habits” that older adults are mindful of? The reasons and activities vary—whether for health, for study, or for hobbies.
By learning what they do and why they do it, we can gain insight into who they are.
And by adopting habits we find appealing, it can also become a chance for us to change ourselves.