どうされましたか？もしよかったら、お話を聞かせてください。そばにいますよ。 — What's the matter? If you'd like, please share what's on your mind. I'm right here beside you. (Care · Emergency, Formal to Senior, JLPT N4)

Gesture & etiquette

Move close and crouch or sit to their level. Place one hand gently on theirs if welcomed. Make soft, steady eye contact with a calm, open expression. Do not immediately ask follow-up questions — let silence do its work. If they begin to cry, offer a tissue without comment. Simply sitting together in quiet presence is often the most powerful response available.

When a resident is tearful, the instinct to immediately solve or distract is often less helpful than simply being present. This phrase — asking gently, offering a door, and stating your presence — creates the emotional safety for them to share or not share as they choose. 'Soba ni imasu yo' (I'm right here) is often the most comforting sentence in a care caregiver's vocabulary.