Archive for: September, 2009
Using effective communication practices
Communication between staff and residents occurs in a variety of ways. Beyond speech and verbal cues, people interact with each other through facial gestures, body language, attitude, and appearance. In communicating with residents, it is important to be mindful of each of these methods of expression, while combating possible hindrances such as hearing and eyesight problems, illness, stress, medications, emotions, fatigue, confusion, language or cultural differences, and even personality differences. It is also important to avoid:
- Offering your opinions. Help your residents make their own decisions. Don’t tell them what you think they should or shouldn’t do.
- Becoming Defensive. When a resident criticizes you or someone else, reflect his or her concern back to him or her so you can learn more about the problem.
- Making judgments. Instead of showing disapproval, ask the resident about his or her reasons for acting or feeling a certain way. Be open to differences of opinion.
- Asking “why.” “Why” questions make people more defensive.
- Giving empty assurances. “Everything’s going to be fine” isn’t necessarily true. Focus on helping the resident talk about his or her concerns.
This is an excerpt from HCPro’s book, The CNA Training Solution, Second Edition.
Coping with death
When a resident passes away, all of a professional caregiver’s energies go into helping the family and other residents cope with the loss of their loved one. We often forget that caregivers also grieve over the loss of people they care about. Staff members develop relationships and attachments with residents, so when a resident dies, workers may experience grief, even though they do not always recognize it.
It is important for staff members to find some way of coping with the range of emotions and issues that accompany death – whether it is a good cry or a regular grief session with coworkers. Facing suffering, disability, and death day after day at the workplace causes increasing stress and drains the energy of the care provider. Learning how to manage difficult emotions helps staff members in many ways. Their lives are less stressful when they know how to deal with guilt, anger, anxiety, and sadness.
The best way to promote healing when someone is grieving is to listen. We express feelings through spoken words, so listening helps the grief-stricken person express, examine, and understand his or her emotions. Crying with someone can be healthy and healing, if done at an appropriate time and place. While each person hurts individually, we can grieve together and support each other. To provide support to someone who is grieving, do the following:
- Share the sorrow. Allow the grieving person to talk about his or her feelings of loss and share memories of the deceased.
- Don’t offer false comfort. It doesn’t help the grieving person to say, “It was for the best,” or, “You’ll get over it in time.” Instead, offer a simple expression of sorrow and take time to listen.
- Offer practical help. Give needed recourses to the grieving person and help him or her make arrangements.
- Be patient. Remember that it can take a long time to recover from a major loss. Like any wound, it takes time for grief to heal.
- Encourage professional help when necessary. Suggest professional help when you feel someone is experiencing too much pain to cope alone.
This is an excerpt from HCPro’s book, The CNA Training Solution, Second Edition.
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