John... it's easy... talk to them as you talk to anybody else..... sometimes you have to make allowences for illness, but, treat them as your friends, your peers, your elders.....

When I was doing my music groups my main goal was to have fun with them... I would badger, encourage, insult(mildly, in a fun way) question, expect.... anything to get participation.... and it worked! I remember talking with the director at the facility one time about my work and methods.. She appreciated the candor in which i talked with people, especially the men.. She said the we have a way of talking to each other (men, that is) almost through insults, that cannot be accomplished with women talking to men. Always accompanied with a smile or grin. They loved it... the little one-liners, stuff they are not expecting to hear, but does no harm to anyone. Jokes with the song titles.. anything to get a rise or a laugh

Above all, talk to them, treat them as you would anybody else, they deserve it.. whether they understand or not, they do understand the tone of the conversation. I too hate 'baby-talk' with our seniors.

MM