COMMUNICATION SKILLS CHAPTER 4 4 44 Chapter 4

COMMUNICATION SKILLS Sender and Receiver Logical, concise, keep it simple Be a good listener, don’t interrupt Make eye contact and use body language Open ended questions Give feed back Avoid being judgmental

HEARING LOSS Common problem with the elderly Often cannot hear high pitched sounds Face the person, need to see your lips Speak slowly and clearly Lower the tone of your voice Speak on good side

Hearing Aides Be sure to check the battery Can plug with ear wax Fragile instruments and very expensive Remove before bathing Protect from high heat

CONFLICT RESOLUTION Conflict resolution is essential in health care When we don’t get along, the resident suffers Speak privately first; try to resolve Be specific, focus only on the conflict Use “I” statements not “You” statements Listen to the other person Be gracious; apologize Meet the person in the middle; compromise Go to supervisor if you need to

RECORDING & REPORTING RECORDING REPORTING Computer or hand written Legible, proper spelling & abbreviations Date and time, after care done Correct resident Do not erase or scribble over Be prompt and accurate Orderly and concise Stick to the facts and observations Subjective information: what the person says Objective information: what you saw, heard, touched, smelled