Interacting with People – Script

28518 – Interact with People to provide support in a health or wellbeing setting

ContentsSegment 1 - What is Communication?............................................................................................................................2

Segment 2 - Ways to Communicate................................................................................................................................5

Segment 3 – Verbal Communication and Body Language...............................................................................................9

Segment 4 –Written Language......................................................................................................................................13

Segment 5– Specialised Language Index.......................................................................................................................16

Segment 6 – Importance of Listening............................................................................................................................18

Segment 7 - Asking Questions.......................................................................................................................................21

Segment 8 - Language Difficulties.................................................................................................................................24

Segment 9 – Reporting..................................................................................................................................................28

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Segment 1 - What is Communication?

Slide 2: Index

In this segment I will discuss what communication is, ways to communicate, speech issues, hearing impairment, verbal and non-verbal communication.

Slide 3: What is communication

Communication is about imparting or exchanging information.

Slide 4: Ways in which I communicate

There are 3 ways in which to communicate, these being Verbal, Non-Verbal and Written Communication. I will briefly discuss these now, but there will be a more in-depth discussion around these three ways of communicating in Segment 3 and 4.

Slide 5: Verbal communication

Verbal communication is speaking. This involves one person speaking while the other person is listening. Think about a time where you started to speak to somebody and they turned their back to you or began speaking to someone else while you were talking. If you are watching this segment with others, turn to them and all begin talking at once. It is not very effective! No one is listening and the person speaking doesn’t really get their point across. This shows that in order for verbal communication to happen, one person needs to speak while others listen. Verbal communication can be complicated when you are working with people who have speech issues or hearing impairment.

Slide 6 Speech issues

Some people may have speech or hearing issues and it is important that you know how to communicate with them. You may be working with a client who has had a stroke and this has effected the way they speak. It is very important that you take the time to properly listen to them and allow time for them to answer. In this case it is important that you do not interrupt them while they are trying to get the words out. This is very disrespectful.

Slide 7: Speech issues

Nor should you assume what they are going to say. It can be helpful to paraphrase which means to repeat back to them in your own words what you have understood them to say so that you can check you have heard them correctly.

Slide 8: Hearing impairment

Likewise, if you are speaking to someone who has hearing impairment it is important to slow down, face the person so they see your lips and pronounce your words clearly, this is something for everyone to remember. If English is your second language or if you are New Zealand born – Kiwis have a reputation for speaking very fast!

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Slide 9: What is Communication without Words?

The second way of communication is non-verbal communication this is to communicate without words. When you are telling a person something, they may be telling you something at the same time, even if you are the only one talking. This is called Non-Verbal communication.

Slide 10: Ways you use non-verbal communication

Non-verbal communication is how you communicate without words and comes in the form of body language, facial expressions, along with tone of voice. This makes up 93% of communication. This will be covered in Segment 3 but I will briefly explain each now.

Slide 11: What is body language?

Body language is non-verbal messages a person sends, it incorporates gestures where you use your hands to explain or get your message out like pointing to a glass of water showing your thirsty or demonstrating the size of something. Posture is how you stand, this shows whether you are interested or not in what the person is saying or perhaps you are tired. Eye contact shows whether you are paying attention – although in some cultures it is rude to look at someone older than you in the eyes, like pacific islands in the Pakeha culture it is disrespectful not to look someone in the eye when you are talking to them so you also need to be aware of cultural differences too. Eye contact is getting that mix of looking at someone without staring.

Slide 12: Body Language

Other aspects of body language are touch which is physically touching another person. For example, you may touch the arm of a client to show you care. Now personal space is about how close a person will let you be to them, these will all be covered more in-depth in other segments but it is important for you to understand that what a person does with their body is a way of communicating.

Slide 13: Examples of Body Language

For instance, if they clench their hands it can suggest they are angry, if their body is shaking then they may be cold or scared. Lots of people unconsciously use their hands while they talk, it is not sign language but it can emphasis a point and are called gestures. If someone is holding part of their body it may suggest they are in pain, these are clues you can pick up on and investigate. Have you ever experienced looking at a client and thought “I think that person is in pain?” they haven’t said anything to you, but you have read their body language and picked up on their non-verbal clues. You will discover as you get to know clients better you will be able to pick up on their body language much easier and this will help you to become an excellent care giver.

Slide 14: What are Facial Expressions

Along with body language is facial expressions. Facial expressions are using your face to show how are feeling or feel about something.

Slide 15: Examples of Facial Expressions

Some examples of facial expressions are: raised eyebrows for surprised, smile for happy, although I also know a lot of people smile when they are up to trouble! ‘The glare’ can express they are angry. A person may look at you ‘blankly’ if they are confused. It can help to stand in-front of a mirror and think about the different emotions and see what happens to your face and body so you can recognise body language clues.

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Remember, just as you are reading your clients body language and facial expressions, your clients, along with co-workers and supervisors are reading yours, for example, if your boss asks you to help clean up a person who has had an accident, and you roll your eyes and screw up your face, you have already told your boss you don’t want to and don’t like the work without having said anything to them.

Slide 16: Tone of voice

You tone of voice is the way in which you say things. Within a sentence you can put the emphasis on particular words to create different meanings. Emphasis means to place importance on to make a point. You could do this by dragging the sounds of the word out or saying it with more enthusiasm. Tone of voice includes when a voice sounds angry, sad, happy, excited, you can hear the emotion a person is feeling. Have you ever come into a room, where you couldn’t hear what was being said but you knew the person was angry or excited? This is tone of voice. You will also hear the emotion in your clients’ voice, if they sound unenthused often it may be a clue they are feeling a bit depressed. If a client says “my daughter is coming today” but their voice sounds down or said then you know not to say “oh that’s exciting” as you know this is not a positive experience, likewise if your client days “my daughter is coming today” and their voice is excited then you know this is a positive experience for them.

Slide 17: Written communication

The third way of communicating is the written word. Written could be include letter, email or text, along with anything you write on social media

Slide 18: Written communication

It also includes your progress notes, and the policy and procedures manual. Any time anything is written down it is communicating something. I will look more in-depth at written communication in the next segment.

Slide 19: Parts to communication

Throughout the previous slides, I have talked about you understanding the body language, or tone and about the need to listen. This shows that communication is a two-way process. There are two parts to communication. Firstly you tell a person something and whatever you have said, the other person understands what you have said.

The two-way process is called sending and receiving messages, and both parts need to be complete in order for effective communication to happen. It is not enough for the other person to simply listen; the person needs to understand what you are saying. For example; if one person is speaking another language to you and you do not have a clue what they are saying then this is not really communication. In my family, I house international students, I had one student with very little English, so she would always just say ‘yes’ when she didn’t understand, in the beginning this caused a lot of confusion until I realised if she said ‘yes’ I would need to try saying something in a different way until she could answer us in a way I knew this meant she had understood.

Look for the non-verbal clues as these clues can help you tell whether a person has understood or not and can tell you how they feel about what you have said without them saying anything.

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Segment 2 - Ways to Communicate

Slide 1: Index

In this segment we will discuss how we communicate in the workplace. The previous segment discussed verbal communication and Segment 7 will discuss speaking professionally so this segment will briefly address verbal communication in the form of face-to-face contact. It will also look at how and when to use the phone and text messaging. Email and social media will also be discussed and we will look at company policies in regards to how you use these forms of communication.

Slide 2: Face to face

Face to face communication is just that, when you are talking directly to another person and you can see them. The way in which you speak to people will differ depending on if they are family, friend, co-worker, boss or client but it is all face-to-face. It is made up of verbal which is talking and non-verbal which is body language and tone of voice communication, for more information about verbal and non-verbal communication go to segment 3.

Slide 3: Answering the phone

One of the most important roles you will have in communicating with people is by answering the telephone. Most work places will have a preference for how they like the phone answered. Often it is along the lines of a greeting for the time of day and you giving your name. An example is:

“Good morning / afternoon, welcome to Fun and Friendly Home and Hospital your speaking with Maryann”. This is polite and lets the person know they have rung the facility they are after and also what your name is so they know who they are speaking to. If you just answered the phone “Hello” it could give the person on the other end of the phone call some confusion as to whether they have rung the right place. Please take the time to check the policy around answering the phone and practice a bit so it feels comfortable to say when you go to answer the phone.

Slide 4: Answering the phone

When answering the phone, you need to ensure that you speak clearly as it is harder to understand people on the phone than it is when speaking face to face because all you are getting is the words and tone of voice, not to mention the technology used in phones can cause sounds to be muffled if not spoken clearly. Also, be courteous and polite as you may be the first contact a person has with your workplace and they may form a judgement from this first contact.

Slide 5: Answering the phone

Confidentiality is important too because you can’t see that the person on the other end of the phone is who they say they are. You are not able to see any identification from them so you need to be very careful that you are indeed talking to the person they say they are. If in any doubt do not give out any information. Instead, check with your manager or have them answer any questions the caller may have. Your scope of practice will limit what information you are permitted to give so don’t step outside of this role. Also be familiar with the policies of your organisation as to how you should handle the situation. I remember when I had answered the phone, and a man rang saying he was the doctor and asking about a client, except that the doctor he was pretending to be was standing right next to me! This shows you cannot assume the person on the phone is who they say they are.

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Slide 6: When is text messaging used?

Text is most appropriate for short messages, or messages you want received quickly like “Friendly reminder I will be at your house at 3pm today”. You might also use text to ask a co-worker if they can swap a shift. They are often used as a reminder or request in your work situation.

Slide 7: Important points about Text Message

When sending a text message, it is very important that you write words out in full so there is no confusion and be clear and concise. “txt language” changes all the time and leaves a lot of room for confusion. Remember that even when texting or emailing you are a professional and you need to act as such, we explore what professional communication looks like in segment 7 but part of this is writing properly to your clients in a way they understand, not using jargon, text language or emoji language (which is where you use symbols instead of words). While a smiley face may be OK putting the whole message in emoji is not.

Slide 8: When is email used?

Emails are used for longer, non-urgent messages It is wise not to assume that people get emails immediately they are sent as not everyone has their email linked to their phone! Again, it needs to be professional with words written out in full and gives you the opportunity to provide more information. Take the time to check what you have written, or get someone else to read what you have written.

Slide 9: Pitfalls of emails

It is easy for people to misinterpret emails as they are only seeing the written word. People cannot read emotion so you need to be careful that what you say in emails. I have had a time when a friend asked me if I was mad with her, I was confused by this then she explained that my email had been very short and to the point and she thought it was a little rude therefore I must be mad with her, I apologised and explained that I had been in a hurry so just sent a quick reply, this shows that a person reading an email can take what you say to mean something that you don’t. Also remember that couples often share emails so if there is something that one spouse does not want the other to know then email is not appropriate as it is easy to breach confidentiality. Sometimes families will send an email to a client in a facility so you will need to read it out to them and help them with a reply.

Slide 10: What is social media?

Social media is anything where you share information over the internet, be it Facebook, Instagram, snapchat, blogs or forums. It is really important to maintain professionalism when using these sites. Your facility may have a Facebook page that families can ‘follow’ and you are responsible for updating it, in this case it needs to follow all written communication standards such as having words out in full. If they do have a Facebook page, there will be a written policy on it so make sure you know it before posting anything on the page. Clients and staff will need to have given permission for their photos to be posted so check their files before posting.

Slide 11: Social Media Don’ts

When discussing social media in the workplace, it is generally about how you use your personal pages. Never discuss your workplace on social media, many people have been fired for doing this. You must also never post pictures or discuss clients on your social media pages, not only could you be fired but you could be in trouble with the law as it is a breach of confidentiality. It is also not very professional to ‘friend’ or ‘follow’ clients. Always keep your work life separate from your personal life.

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Slide 12: What does Breaching Confidentiality Mean?

As part of the Code of Conduct you must adhere to confidentiality. So, what does confidentiality mean? It means that you do not disclose information about anyone to others that do not have the right to this information or that you have the right to disclose.

Slide 13: Who does it apply to?

So any confidential information covers co-workers, clients or your workplace. Therefor you should never send anything about another person via text either between you and a co-worker or you to a client or your workplace. It would be very easy to accidently send a text to the wrong person - we have all been there where we sent the wrong text to the wrong person! Another risk is other people being able to pick up the phone and read the confidential information they have no right to. Please be aware, if you send a message that contains confidential information you are in breach of the conduct and could have a complaint laid against you with the Health and disabilities commission.

Slide 14: Know your role

When you are speaking on the phone, know who you are allowed to give information to and who you are not. For example some relatives will be allowed information as they have enduring power of attorney, and some family relationships are strained and your client will prefer members of the family do not know information). Always work to your scope of practice and job description

Slide 15: Who can give information?

Generally speaking it is not your role to talk to the doctors or hospital. If a GP clinic or hospital calls always get the Registered nurse to take the call, or pass on to the manager. This also keeps you safe from inadvertently giving out information you shouldn’t, also they may require information that is outside of your scope of practice to discuss.

Slide 16: Giving Important News

It is also really important to ensure that you do not give any important news, good or bad via text message or Email. These methods of communication do have their place but it comes to news that could be distressing to a person. Important news is best done face to face, to ensure they understand the information and to be there as a caring person offering support.

It is also important that you speak directly to the person if there is urgent news, do not send this via text message. For example, if it has been arranged for a relative to pick up a client to take them to an appointment and the time has been changed, it is important to ring and tell them rather than send a text message as they may not read the text message in time. So when it is time critical, and a person needs to know of changes you must speak to them personally to ensure they get the message

Now it is not your role to advise people of medical test results like “Red Blood Count low, you will need to go back to hospital” and it should not be done by anyone via text. But you will be responsible for ensuring any change of pick up times has been communicated to the person who is doing the picking up.

Slide 17: When can txt or email be used?

Text is a useful tool. Some examples of acceptable use is for things such as sending “I will be at your house at 3pm”, if you want to swap a shift later in the week, or confirming an appointment that is for a few days away

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Slide 18: Company policies

You will need to check what your companies’ policies, procedures and protocols around using text message and email, particularly for clients. Some clients, particularly those that are deaf find receiving a text with your estimated arrival time really helpful where other clients will not even own a cell phone. In any situation, it is best to ensure you know which is the preferred method of contact with a client and that you are meeting the policies and protocols of your workplace.

Slide 19: Company policies, procedures and protocols

Your workplace will have policies, procedures and protocols about how you communicate at work and with the people you support. These rules are there to keep everybody safe and make sure everyone understands what to do, when and how.

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Segment 3 – Verbal Communication and Body Language

Slide 1: Index

This segment will cover 6 types of communication which come under the category of verbal communication and body language, including verbal and how we use our voice. Written communication and how we use body language, facial expressions, gestures, and body position to communicate.

Slide 2: What is communication?

Communication is about how we impart information. When we talk about ‘telling’ a person something, we don’t just mean talking. There are many different ways to communicate and what we say is only a small part of it. Only 7% of communication is made up of words, 93% of our communication is non-verbal which is body language and how we say what we say.

Slide 3: How you communicate?

When you communicate you use your voice which is Verbal Communication. You also use your body so this is called Body language. There are 6 types of communication Firstly there is:

The use of words. This is our everyday language or the words we say but tone is the way in which we say the words; body language is the way in which our body communicates the message.

Slide 4: How you communicate

You also use Facial expressions which is the way you use your face when you communicate. People may use gestures which are things we do with our hands to communicate, while you may not realise it you also communicate with your body position which is how you position your body when you talk.

Slide 5: Ways you communicate

Most people communicate verbally but sometime people cannot speak through disability or disease so there are other ways they communicate their message. So messages can be written or in some cases use Specialised Language techniques. These are techniques used to convey language to people with disabilities. This will be discussed in Segment 4

Slide 6: What is verbal communication

Verbal Communication is speaking using your voice and words to convey your message so whenever you talk to someone using your voice, you are using verbal communication.

Slide 7: Importance of verbal communication

Verbal communication comes easily to some people and not to others, some people are naturally more talkative that others. While caring for people, even if you are normally a quiet person, it is important to speak to people, particularly when you are entering the room or a person’s home but first make sure you knock before you enter. Use a greeting like hello or good morning and give your name to the person you will be caring for as this shows respect. Studies have shown that people who are unconscious are still able to hear people talk to them, so make sure you talk to everyone while caring whether they can talk back or not.

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Slide 8: Ways to verbally communicate

Verbal communication can be in person which is called face to face, on the phone or over the computer using programmes like skype. Living in today’s times are very exciting with the use of computer programmes. I know I love being able to face time a good friend who is currently living in London and see her while we talk. It can now even be used for interviews when applying for jobs in a different city or country. Some of you will be very familiar with using these programmes while others may not. It can be great fun to help a client connect with a relative far away using these programmes, it is different from what they have experienced growing up and can be so special for them to connect with family in this way. Check to see if your facility has this option for their residents and have a think about which residents this would be a great tool for.

Slide 9: Sounds that aren’t words

Verbal communication doesn’t have to be actual words. Some examples are: When someone else is speaking, you might say “uh-huh” or “mmm” or laugh, you may even scream or squeal in delight at something that is said

Slide 10: When you use sounds?

You use sounds to show you are listening. Sometimes making a little noise like “uh-huh” can encourage your client to feel heard and to continue on with their story without interrupting them. This can be a valuable tool if a client may be disclosing something important and you do not want to interrupt them as it may cause them to stop talking but you want to show your client you care and are listening. These ‘listening cues’ can often be paired with body language like simply placing your hand on theirs to encourage them to keep talking.

You might laugh or make a sad noise to show you understand the emotion of the story. Things like a scream or squeal can tell a lot about how you feel without saying anything. Have you ever had the experience of seeing a spider or mouse and screaming, people come running because they can tell you are afraid even without you having used any words.

Slide 11: What affects verbal communication?

So how clearly you speak will influence the effectiveness of your verbal communication. If you speak clearly, it is more likely the person will understand you, and it lets the person know that you care that they understand. Also, the Tone of your voice affects communication as it is the emotion or feeling in your voice. If you have an accent, this can also affect communication too.

Slide 12: What tone of voice says - negative

Tone indicates how you are feeling so If you say nice things in an angry voice, they will not sound nice to the person you are speaking to and the message you want to convey may get lost or misinterpreted. If you are watching this segment with someone, turn to them and pay them a compliment in an angry voice, how does it sound? Does it still feel like a compliment? Now try saying it in a sarcastic tone, how does it sound? How does it feel?

Sarcasm is when you say something but mean the opposite and it is expressed through tone. It is an insincere message. For example, “you’re so smart” said in a normal tone conveys you think the person is smart, but when it is said ‘you’re sooo smart” the “so” is dragged out creating a sarcastic tone, meaning

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you don’t actually think the person is smart. ‘sarcasm’ is often not understood by children or elderly, particularly those with dementia, it is disrespectful and best not to be used in the workplace.

Slide 13: What tone of voice says - positive

However, tone can also be used to convey that you care, it can show compassion, empathy and excitement. Try saying a sentence in different ways, listen to the tone and see how it makes you feel. It all depends on which word you put the emphasis on in the sentence as to the message you send.

Slide 14: What is body language?

Body language is the term used to describe how you use your whole body when you communicate, not just your voice. You may even communicate without meaning to.

Slide 15: Examples of body language

Crossing your arms puts your body into a ‘closed’ position, it can tell someone you are not really interested in what they are saying. When you slump, it tells people you are not interested or tired. Turning your back on someone tells them you are not interested in them or what they are saying. Have you ever watched a dance? The style lyrical is all about telling a story through dance, they can share a story and cause you to feel emotions, all without them saying a thing!

Slide 16: Facial expressions

Facial expressions are part of body language. Facial expressions can say a lot, before you have even opened your mouth. You can look at your clients and watch their expression, it can often tell you how they are feeling. If they appear confused after you have said something, then you know you need to try again using different words so it indicates their level of understanding. It also shows compassion or disgust so it is important to remember that while you can read your clients facial expressions, they can also read yours! If you are looking at their wound with worry then that can make them even more worried, just like if they have had an accident and you look disgusted it can add to their feeling embarrassed. You can figure out ways to avoid showing negative facial expressions to an extent and find ways to acknowledge the situation but without making the client feel worse than they already do, for example if a client has had an accident, acknowledge that it can’t feel nice and you will help them to get cleaned up and feel better, this helps them to connect your facial expressions with concern over their feelings or experience rather than you having negative feelings towards them.

Slide 17: What are gestures?

Gestures are movements that you make with your hands to tell someone something.

Slide 18: Examples of gestures

Waving, giving the OK symbol and pointing are all types of gestures. Gestures can be used to communicate when someone is at a distance from us or we don’t want to use words for whatever reason. Waving acknowledges and greets someone without using words, in New Zealand you will often see young people give a sort of head nod as a form of greeting. The ok sign of giving a thumb up or making a circle with your thumb and first finger is saying that everything it

ok. Pointing to an object can help people who are looking for it to locate it, people make a mental line from the end of your finger and track that line which leads them to the object. Point to note about gestures though is to remember that what is acceptable in one country may be offensive in another. Gestures are not a universal sign language.

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Slide 19: What is body position?

Body position is how you position your body when you talk to a person. This can affect how well you communicate with them. Being too distant from a person might appear that you are not interested in them.

For example, people tend to sit closer to someone they like or trust and lean towards the person, this creates a feeling of warmth and interest in the person.

Slide 20: What is personal space?

Personal space is how close you allow others into your personal space. Each person has their own comfort zone of how close they will allow people to them, this will be effected by how well the person knows the other and how connected they are. You will allow loved ones to cuddle you and be up close to you but strangers will only be allowed so close before you unconsciously step back. You are in a unique position in that you may not know people particularly well but you will have to be in their personal space and they will be in yours and they need to be able to trust you. You need to show people total respect when you are in their personal space doing cares such as dressing changes, bathing and dressing. If you turn your back on someone you are conveying you are not interested. This is very disrespectful and not the way to treat any clients.

Slide 21: Examples of body position

If you put yourself in a body position where you are standing over a person, you are putting yourself in a position of power. Putting yourself in a body position where you are on the same level as them being you are equal partners, this is the ideal level for communicating with.

Sometimes it may be appropriate to put yourself in a position where you are lower than the other person, this shows you respect their Mana. Mana is a Māori word for which there is no direct English translation but essentially it is about, honour, respect, influence and prestige, to respect someone’s Mana or to give Mana to someone means you want to respect who they are, you want to honour them for all they have done, for their authority as an elder or leader.

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Segment 4 –Written Language

Slide 1: Index

In this segment, we will address written communication. Written communication comes in many forms be it letter, Electronic, progress notes, even your policy and procedures manual. I will explain each form of communication and how it can be used to assist you when working with clients.

Slide 2: What is written communication?

Written communication is anything you write down or type for someone else to read. This includes what a formal letter should contain, electronic written communication, what should be in progress notes and how policies and procedures are constructed.

Slide 3: Why is writing letters important?

While writing letters are becoming outdated with the move to email and other instantaneous forms of communication, for some older adults this is really important as it has been one of the main forms of communication with their friends they have practices for many years. Keeping in contact with people is really important for their emotional and social wellbeing so it is not uncommon for a person to receive and informal letter from a friend or indeed want to write one back.

Slide 4: Your role

Part of your role when a letter arrives for a client or resident may be to ensure they get the letter, so they may need help with this. You may need to read a letter out loud to a client, or help them to write one, it may even just be as simple as posting it for them.

Slide 5: Writing formal letters

When writing formal letters there are certain things they must contain. Firstly, it must contain both Your address, and the address of the person who is going to receive it. It must also have the date it was written and the person who is to read it.

Slide 6: Writing formal letters

You must also begin with a greeting like Dear Sir/Madam if you do not know the person or write Dear, then the title and name of the person. The title is how a person is addressed such as Mr, Mrs or Dr. The main part of the letter is what you want to convey. This is called the body of the letter. You must also have an ending to the letter, like yours faithfully or sincerely. Then you finish off the letter with your name and signature. When writing letters, you need to be careful how you word things as the person cannot read your emotion, you do not have tone of voice, body language and facial expressions to help you get your point across. It is a really good idea to have someone else read your work to see if there is any confusion.

Slide 7: What is electronic communication?

Electronic communication is a common way of communicating these days as it gets information to people very quickly. It may be in the form of an Email, a text message or through social media. Like letters, whenever you are writing, you need to remember you don’t have tone of voice and body language to help you convey your point so you need to be very careful about what you say as can be easily misunderstood. We have discussed each of these in Segment 2 but let’s go over the important points again now:

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Slide 8: Text and email don’ts

You should not use jargon or text language; you need to ensure you maintain confidentiality by not putting private information in the messages and you should not give important news to a person via text message or email.

Slide 9: When is it acceptable to use text and email?

Instead, use email and Text for things such as confirming an appointment or giving a brief reminder for things like a change of shift or time you will be arriving at a clients.

Slide 10: Writing text and email

When sending text or emails you should write everything out in full to ensure the receiver understands your message. You must always follow to company policies, procedures and protocols too. These are there to help keep you safe and make sure you do your job correctly.

Slide 11: Writing progress notesIt is important to remember that progress notes are a legal document. This means anything you write in them can be used in a court of law so make sure you write only the facts whether you are writing them by hand or electronically. Progress notes are your responsibility to write each day or to company policy, concerning the clients in your care.

Slide 12: Writing progress notes

Each client or person at your facility or workplace will have their own set of progress notes and you are to write in each clients’ progress notes regarding the care and observations you have made that day. They are there to essentially tell the story of their health and wellbeing.

Slide 13: Progress note don’ts

You do not give your opinion in unless stating it is your opinion for example you cannot say “Mr Rock is depressed today” but you can write “Mr Rock appears to be quieter than usual and did not want to go on the outing today”. You cannot use twink, white out or anything else to erase words in progress notes either. Nor can you use pencil as it can be erased too. Also do not write in red as it does not copy well if it needs to be photocopied for some reason.

Slide 14: Progress note do’s

The main things to remember is that the notes should remain factual. If you made a mistake you should put a line through it then sign to say you are the one who has put a line through it. Notes should be written in blue or black ink or electronically. When writing your progress notes, you need to remember who, what, when, where, why and how. This will help you to create detailed, factual notes.

Slide 15: Policies and procedures

Policies and procedures are there to help you guide you to understand how your organisation operates. In some cases, they may contain formal, legal documents but only where the legal aspects or your employment is concerned or how the business must operate. They are created to ensure everyone in the company follows the same rules, standards and guidelines, the aim of these policies is to communicate the desired outcomes and to specify the roles and responsibilities of people in the facility. A lot of care and time has been taken to ensure that they are clear, and do not break any laws. In some cases, the policies have been written and then reviewed by a lawyer. These are reviewed not less than every 2 years and

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updated as and when things change or the law changes. You should never take it upon yourself to rewrite a procedure, if you think something has become outdated or should be changed you need to speak to your manager. Ensuring policies are current and accurate are very important for when the facility is audited to maintain whatever licencing they have.

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Segment 5 – Specialised Language Index

Slide 1: Index

Specialised Language is about techniques used to convey language to people with disabilities. Examples of these are sign language for people that are deaf or hearing impaired, tactile signing which is the term for techniques used when people are deaf-blind, Lip-Reading which is a way of people with hearing impairment to understand verbal communication and Braille which is written communication for the blind.

Slide 2: New Zealand Languages

There are 3 recognised languages in New Zealand. They are New Zealand sign language, English and Te Reo Māori.

Slide 3: What is Sign Language?

Sign involves using your hands to communicate with specific gestures for words, letters and ideas. It is used to communicate with other people who know the same sign language, mainly by people who are hearing impaired or communicating with people who are hearing impaired. Sign language can vary from country to country so there is not one universal language.

Slide 4: How does a person communicate with sign language?

Sign language involves using the hands or arms in gestures to create words but also involves the use of their body so body language is important. They also are often very animated with facial expressions which is often along with lip movements. This is how they convey the emotion of the conversation. Where you would use your voice, people use other tools to get their message across.

Slide 5: What is tactile signing?

Tactile signing is used for people who are deaf-blind. Deaf blind is a dual sensory loss or significant impairment of both hearing and sight. For people who are deaf-blind, ways of communicating and the aids and devices used will depend on the person’s needs. The person may communicate using tactile signing, such as tactile finger spelling, which is sing fingers on the body to spell out words. It could also be hand-over-hand signing or on-body signing. In some cases where a person has vision the person may use printed or written signs that have been visually adapted, such as using larger text, and/or contrasting works and backgrounds, images or symbols.

Slide 6: What is lip reading?

Lip reading is when a person understands what you are saying through watching a person’s mouth and learning which formations of the mouth create which words. Everyone to some extent reads lips when communicating but it is particularly important for people who have a hearing impairment.

Slide 7: Working with people who are hearing impaired

When you work with a person who is hearing impaired it is vital that you get their attention by a simple touch then look at them while you speak, many have learnt to lip read. You need to speak slowly and clearly but do not over-exaggerate your mouth when you speak, you just need to speak a slightly slower version of normal. If you are looking away from the person they cannot see your lips and therefore cannot understand what you say.

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Slide 8: What is Braille?

Braille is a specialised form of writing for people that are blind. It uses raised dots to create characters so that a person who is blind can run their fingers over it, feel the dots and work out the characters that form words. People become quite quick at running their fingers over these dots and reading what is on the sheet. You will not be responsible for creating anything in braille, your role would be more to help clients access documents in braille. The New Zealand Society for the Blind is a good place to start when trying to access braille documents for clients.

Slide 9: What type of communication so you use

So which type of communication should you use?

You need to use the type of communication that works best for each client. Some patients will like a text reminder of their appointment time, while others do not even have a phone. People with hearing or vision issues need the appropriate communication, there is no point in talking to someone while your back is turned if they are deaf, other times you may need to write information down, it can help to learn simple or common words in sign if you are working with someone who is deaf long term and they use sign as a form of communication.

Slide 10: Final pointers

Please make sure you have read your facilities policy and procedures manual regarding communication. If there are any specific communication needs for clients this should be in their Care Plan.

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Segment 6 – Importance of Listening

Slide 1: Listening

In this segment I will discuss how listening is an essential part of communication. How you listen affects how well you communicate and how effective you are in your job. Listening well is called active listening. This segment will teach you what active listening is, the barriers we all have that stop us from listening properly and how you can show a person you are listening.

Slide 2: What is active listening?

So, what is Active listening? It is a way of listening and responding to another person that improves understanding for all people in the conversation.

Slide 3: What is active listening?

Active listening is also known as attentive listening. Which means you have to concentrate on what the person is saying and processing that information so you can respond appropriately. We have all been there when we are talking and you can see the other person is concentrating on something else, we do not feel heard or respected. Active listening is about removing the barriers to listening and focusing on the person who is talking and giving them your full attention to understand what they are saying and to show them respect.

Slide 4: Types of active listening?

There are three main types of active listening. These are informational listening which is listening to learn, Critical listening, this is listening to evaluate and analyse a situation and empathetic listening or listening to understand feeling and emotion.

Slide 5: What is informational listening?

Informational Listening is what you are doing right now, you are listening to this presentation and other presentations by Care Training Online to gain information to become better at your job. You also use Informational listening with your clients, when you ask them questions so you need to ensure you are taking the time to properly listen to their answers to gain information. For example, if you are asking them if they had a good night sleep, you need to wait and listen to the answer so that you can record it in their notes.

Slide 6: What is critical listening?

The next type of active listening is critical listening, this is listening to evaluate and analyse a situation. This is where you are listening intently to what a person is saying, and sometimes not saying, in order to evaluate the situation. For example, a client may be saying to you “Is Joe asleep in his seat?” If you are not listening attentively you may miss the concern in their voice, or what they have said entirely and rush past Joe, but listening intently would tell you the person is actually worried about Joe and thinks you should check on him. Similarly, if you ask a client about their pain but are not critically listening you might hear them saying they are in a little bit of pain and not do anything about it, whereas if you are critically listening you would hear them say they are in a little bit of pain, but you would pick up on the tone of voice and body language and know they are actually in quite a bit of pain.

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Slide 7: What is empathetic listening?

The third type of active listening is empathetic listening or listening to understand feeling and emotion. This is where the caring side of your profession comes in. The people in your care can sometimes be lonely or depressed and need someone to talk to. It is important to stay engaged in the conversation and attentively listen to a person, particularly when they are talking about their emotions.

You will find that with some experience you will be using the types of active listening together. For example, if you have a client who is talking about how hard things are and how miserable they are, you will be using empathetic listening to show you care and to give support and comfort, but you will also be using critical listening to gauge if a person is at risk of harming themselves and whether an assessment needs to be done.

Slide 8: What are barriers to listening?

There are always barriers to active listening. For example, it is easy to get caught up in your own thoughts and not listen properly. This happens when a person is talking and you are thinking about the other tasks you need to do. I know I am particularly bad at listening when a person shares a problem I instantly start thinking about the solution or the logistics of fixing a situation, so I need to be mindful about this aspect of myself to ensure that when a person is talking that I am giving them my full attention.

Sometimes, particularly with empathetic listening, we can find ourselves not giving full attention because we are thinking of how to respond. While a person is talking we begin to formulate the response in our mind, this too pulls us away from actively listening to a person. It is OK to simply acknowledge how they are feeling without trying to fix their problem. When we take the time to really listen to a person, and acknowledge their feelings, this shows more respect and care than any solution could. It can also be helpful to say I will think on it and get back to you if asked a question, this gives you time to go away and really think about your answer which means you do not have to worry about giving an answer but instead can focus on what the person is saying.

Another reason why people sometimes stop listening is due to busyness. When it is a busy shift it is easy to forget to take the time to listen and get caught up doing the tasks. It is part of your job to really care for the clients, and this means listening to them. Remember, listening does not take you away from doing your job, taking the time to listen is doing your job!

Slide 9 - How do you show you are listening?

Once you have figured out how to remove the barriers you struggle with to listening you can then show that you are listening as this shows respect and care. So how do you show you are listening? This is done by making good eye contact, using good body language, and by waiting until the person has finished speaking before you speak.

Slide 10 – How do you make good eye contact?

Making good eye contact is done by looking at the person without staring. If you were talking to a friend and they were looking at something else, would you feel like they were listening? If you were talking to a person and they were staring at you, how comfortable would you feel? Some cultures, like people from the pacific islands, find it is disrespectful to look at a person’s eyes so you may see a young pacific island person looking at the floor, when they are talking to their Grandparents so remember to consider cultural signs of respect around eye contact.

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Slide 11 –How do you use body language?

You use your body by nodding and smiling to acknowledge you are listening or using body language that shows you are listening without using words that could interrupt them. For instance; you can agree with a point they have made by smiling or nodding to show you are responding to what they say. These are called minimal encouragers. For more information on body language go to segment 3 of this topic.

Slide 12 – How to show you are listening

It is also respectful to wait for the person to finish what they are saying. It is very rude to interrupt people, especially if they have difficulty talking or communicating so give them the time they need to speak. Have you ever experienced a time when you start talking and someone speaks over the top of you? It is common especially during heated discussions or emotional topics but it is very frustrating to say something and have people talk over you. Clients deserve your respect and it is important that you do not rush them when talking. By showing a person that we are listening, we tell them that we are interested and that we care. This is one of the most important things you can do in your role.

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Segment 7 - Asking Questions

Slide 1: Index

An important part of effective communication is knowing how to ask questions, and more importantly knowing the right kind of question to ask for any given situation. This will come with experience, but it is important to begin by learning what those different question types are. During this segment we will cover why you should ask questions, how to ask questions, when to ask questions and we will examine boundaries around asking questions.

Slide 2: Why Should You Ask Questions?

Responding to a person and asking questions is a good way to continue the communication. Some reasons why you might ask questions are to show that you’re interested by continuing the conversation in what the person is talking about and to check you have understood the client correctly.

Slide 3: How Can You Show Your Interested?

An effective way to show you’re interested in what the person is talking about is to use follow-up questions. A follow up question is a question that asks for more information about what has just been said. For example, if you have a client who is keen on a particular sport that you do not know much about you could ask questions, this shows the client that you are listening and care. It also is a good chance for you to get to know your clients better and build rapport which may come in handy for assessments. For example if they are eagerly talking about a topic and overtime you observe them becoming disinterested or confused about it, you can then report this to the nurse such as “last week they were really eager about rugby and telling me a lot of technical information, this week they were struggling to remember things like what the ball is called, I’m concerned about them” or “while Mr X was talking to me about rugby he began to slur some of his words”. So not only are you showing respect and care to your clients but by learning more about them you are able to give them better care.

Slide 4: Examples of Follow up Questions

Some examples of follow up questions are “that sounds interesting, can you tell me more about …”

Or “What happened next?” other questions may be along the lines of “How did you feel about that?”

Slide 5: Why Do You Check Understanding?

Along with showing that you are interested you can also use questions to check you have understood the client correctly. It is important to ensure you have understood the client correctly, particularly if it is about something medical that you may need to report to the nurse. The nurse will also likely ask you a few questions to determine the urgency and you need to make sure you are passing on accurate information. Likewise, it is important to check your understanding with the nurse to ensure you understand the requests made, if you have not taken the time to ask questions and understand what is required of you then you may end up doing cares incorrectly which could harm the client. Checking your understanding makes sure you and the person know what has been communicated. It means saying what you think the person is telling you. Remember, if you need to understand, for communication to be happening.

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Slide 6: How Do You Check Your Understanding?

So how do we check our understanding? This is done by paraphrasing or reflecting and checking that you have the information correct.

Slide 7: What is Paraphrasing?

Paraphrasing means to reword or rephrase what has been said to check you understand what the person has said for example if a person was to say, “This meal is disgusting, I hate beef” you would paraphrase by saying “So you don’t like beef, and this causes you to not enjoy the meal, is that correct?”

Slide 8: What Is Reflecting?

You need to develop the ability to reflect words and feelings back to the speaker as a part of good listening skills. The only person who can tell you if you have understood what has been said is the speaker. Reflecting goes one step more than paraphrasing as it is also about checking you understand the persons feelings on the topic as well as what they have said. Using the same example as paraphrasing you would add “So your frustrated that you have been served beef as you don’t like it and this means you cannot enjoy your meal?” this would allow you to check you have understood what the client is saying, they would then be able to agree or clarify. This conversation would go on to problem solve how this can be fixed leaving the client to feel heard and respected.

Slide 9: How To Ask Questions

Now that you know why you need to ask questions, we can address how to ask questions. Questions generally come in 2 forms; closed and open. You can use either form of question in order to gather information and check your understanding, however generally only open questions show that you are interested in what the person has to say.Slide 10: What are Closed Questions?

Closed questions are questions that mean a person is expected to give a brief response, generally it requires a yes or no response. Such as “Does this hurt?” it is a closed question because it doesn’t require the person to give more information other than a “yes” or “no” answer. Closed questions can be useful in emergencies where you need to ask a lot of questions in a short amount of time

Slide 11: When are Closed Questions Helpful?

it can also be helpful for people who are struggling to speak at that moment such as if they are having shortness of breath, but should not be used all the time for people who permanently struggle to speak, such as those recovering from a stroke. They can also be helpful for reducing options if a person is confused or struggling to make a choice, such as “would you like the blue top or red top” Closed questions are called that as they do not encourage open communication. Sometimes during emergencies they can be helpful to get the quick response for urgent assessment.

Slide 12: What are Open Questions?

Whereas, Open questions encourage open communication, they are used to encourage a person to give more than just a yes or no answer so you can get more information. For example a closed question would be “Did you sleep well?” – which means you would answer with a yes or no, but an open question would be “How did you sleep?” this requires a bit more information to be given as a response, such as “I had a bit

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of a rough night” A closed question would be “would you like to go for a walk?” and the open question version would be “what would you like to do today?”.

Slide 13: When Are Open Questions Helpful?

Open questions are the type of questions you use as follow up questions to build rapport and show you are interested in a person. They are also useful to find out more information from a client that they otherwise wouldn’t freely say for example you might ask a client to describe their pain and can be used to check your understanding of what the client has said.

Slide 14: When to Ask Questions

It is good to know when to ask questions and the type of questions to ask. We have covered why we ask questions and how to ask questions, now we need to address when to ask questions, and this is all about timing. The right time to ask questions is important. You should not be asking personal questions in front of their guests. I remember when I was first training as a nurse and the charge nurse wanted me to ask a client if he had opened his bowels following his surgery, in my eagerness to do as I was asked, I went in and asked him if he had opened his bowels, his face turned red and I looked around and realised his guest was on the other side of the bed and I had just embarrassed the client. I will never forget that feeling of realising I had just been totally inappropriate.

It is also important to gauge the appropriate setting to ask questions, for example the person may not feel comfortable to have a big long chat about something while they are naked, or they may be uncomfortable in silence while you are showing them, so you will need to use your skills of reading body language and tone to gauge whether a person is more comfortable with silence or conversation. If you are asking private questions can other residents hear you?

You will also need to listen to the client to work out if you need to be asking more questions to gain understanding if you are doing assessment or if they are lonely and want you to ask questions and talk for company.

Slide 15: Boundaries When Asking Questions

Whether you know it or not, when you are a care taker, or health assistant you are in a role of power. This means you have a responsibility to protect the people in your care, and this includes respecting them. When you are asking questions, clients feel an obligation to answer, so you need to create boundaries for yourself. For example, I go through a mental list of questions to determine whether I should be asking for information from a client. For example, would I feel comfortable to answer if someone was asking me this question? Sometimes there are questions that are a little more embarrassing to answer but are medically necessary, I’m not referring to these, I’m talking about personal questions, for example if they are dating. Do I need to know the answer? There is a difference between general chat that encourages the building of rapport and asking personal questions that will not serve any purpose to the care you give; and Will I be able to use the information to benefit the client? If the answer is no, then you shouldn’t be asking. Clients are allowed their privacy and you are not allowed to invade it simply because you are curious and have to power to ask.

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Segment 8 - Language Difficulties

Slide 1: Index

We all naturally alter the way we speak depending on who it is we are talking to. People do not talk to their family and friends the way they speak to their boss. This segment will look at speaking professionally, terminology in the health sector and using jargon. We will also look at some barriers with language, such as accents and working with people who have disabilities that effect speech.

Slide 2: Speaking Professionally

Speaking professionally uses what you have been learning about tone and body language, and the actual words you say. You need to keep your tone polite and respectful, and your body language open such as standing up properly, not slouched or with your arms crossed.

When speaking you need to think about using the more correct or formal language such as replying to a question with ‘yes or no’ rather than ‘yep or nah’.

Slide 3: Speaking Professionally

You also need to remember to remove the slang words out of your sentence for example you wouldn’t say “yep, sweet as” to a client you would say “yes we can do that”.

You need to remember to use words appropriate for the person you are talking to. Older adults should not be talked to like you do a child. While they may be old and need assistance, they are not children. They need to be spoken to with respect for their life experience and knowledge.

Slide 4: What is Terminology?

When you are talking to other staff and clients you also need to be aware of the terminology you use. Terminology is the name of the body of terms used for a subject of study or profession, for this line of work it is medical terminology. You will learn this terminology the longer you work in healthcare.

Slide 5: When To use Terminology

It is good to use medical terminology when you are talking with other medical professionals such as the nurse or doctor. This demonstrates the knowledge you have and is more professional, and it can also help you to be more specific which will help the nurse or doctor. All nurses and doctors learn specific medical terminology so that no matter where they are in the country they can talk specifics of a case and be understood by another medical professional. It is really like learning another language. Some of the terminology used can be difficult to spell or pronounce but over time you will become familiar with it and think nothing of it.

Slide 6: When Not to use Terminology

You should not be using terminology with clients or their family who do not understand what is meant. Many people who have a chronic illness will have an understanding about the terminology used in their situation, such as a person who is PEG fed will understand the term PEG feeding. While they may not be able to understand what the words are or mean, they certainly will know what it does.

However, a person who is just becoming used to this term will need to be reminded what things mean, like when you are learning a new language. A person who also has dementia or other neurological issues may

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also have trouble remembering terminology, along with people who have an ‘acute’ situation. For example, if a person had fractured their hip, you would talk about a fractured hip, not a fractured NOF, which means fractured neck of femour, as they will not know this terminology. When you speak using terminology to people who do not understand, you leave them feeling bad about themselves or confused and this is a disrespectful and many people do not want to show their ignorance of this lack of knowledge and won’t ask what it means.

Slide 7: What is Jargon?

When people work in an industry that has a lot of terminology, like healthcare, there often is also a lot of Jargon used. Jargon is the term used to describe words or expressions that are unique to a set of people.

Slide 8: When is Jargon Used?

Jargon use could be cultural, work related or generational

Slide 9: What is Cultural Jargon?

Many countries or even provinces within countries have a lot of words or phrases specific to them. I remember when I was working as a nurse alongside a South African Nurse, I had asked her to do something and she said “I’ll do it just now” I made the assumption that meant she would do it straight away, so when I found her in the same place having not done the task I pulled her up on it. She looked at me confused and said “but I told you I’d do it just now.” After some discussion I learnt that “just now” was a South African colloquialism for I’ll do it later or in a bit. If you are new to New Zealand did you find some of the things that were said weird? For instance, kiwis often say “yeah na” which means we don’t really want to. This is confusing to a lot of people as you are using both yes and no in your answer. When working with a variety of people, both staff and clients it helps to gain an understanding of cultural jargon to avoid miscommunication.

Slide 10: What is Workplace Jargon

Like countries, every work place will develop their own jargon for procedures, conditions or places. For example, people that do not work in health will probably not know what a sluice room is. At my work we nick named a storage area “the dungeon”. New people would not know what we were on about when we asked them to go to the dungeon. Once you are immersed into the job or culture it is easy to forget that other people don’t understand the jargon, so we need to think about what is universal language, terminology and workplace jargon when working with someone, particularly a new member to staff or a casual staff member.

Slide 11: Examples of Healthcare Jargon

Doctors and Nurses often use Medical jargon in their notes, so it is important to learn codes as well or to ask if you do not understand what they are on about. For example, a hashtag is often used in place of the word fracture, an arrow up means increased, arrow down means decreased.

Slide 12: What is Generational Jargon?

Generational jargon can also cause miscommunication. Within generations there is new jargon and words being made up. There are catch phrases that are popular at varying stages of life and commonly used by particular generations.

Slide 13: Examples of Generational Jargon

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For instance, in the 60’s it was Groovy, the 90’s Cool Bananas, now it’s all about acronyms like LOL, which means laugh aloud, YOLO which is you only live once. Imagine for a second, talking to one your clients and calling them “bro” or answering with “yeah nah” or using phrases you do when talking to friends, they wouldn’t have a clue what you were talking about! For example, I have seen a memo around where a lady wrote LOL at the end of a message thinking it meant Lots of Love instead of Laugh Out Loud and caused a bit of family drama!

Slide 14: Pitfalls with Jargon

When jargon is used and not everyone knows or is familiar with the terminology, it can cause miscommunication as the person totally misses what is said. One person would think one thing is meant while another thinks’ something else is meant. Imagine an emergency scene and everyone is using jargon and some people don’t understand what is meant? It could be disastrous and dangerous if people misunderstand what is being said. A state of confusion could occur where no one knows what to do.

Slide 15: English as a second language - Advantage

We have discussed how terminology can be both useful and a hinderance when communicating with people. Having English as a second language can also be both useful and a hinderance. If you speak more than one language, then you have an advantage in that you are able to speak to clients in their native tongue. For example, if you know both mandarin and English and you have a mandarin speaking client, a person that only speaks English could have a much more difficult time speaking to them and ensuring the client understands. Now you on the other hand would be able to speak to them in their native language which will make them feel more comfortable and help with their understanding.

Slide 16: When Speaking with An Accent

But the downside is that you will often speak with an accent. This can make it harder to communicate as words can get mixed up or you have trouble pronouncing some words. It is the same if you have a client with an accent. So, you need to take a little more time and concentrate to ensure you understand what they are saying. I have also heard it said that Kiwis have one of the worst accents in the world, kiwis speak very fast and have an unusual ‘twang’ to some of the words we say. So, if you are kiwi born you need to be aware of this. Everyone needs to ensure they speak slowly and clearly. I know that when I have co-workers who have English as a second language I acknowledge to them that I know I speak fast so if I am talking too quickly please let me know as I want to be able to improve this skill of speaking slowly and clearly. It is also a good idea to check what they have said or paraphrase, as we mentioned in a previous slide, to ensure you have understood them and they have understood you.

Slide 17: Disabilities with Speaking

Some people you work with many have communication difficulties due to disabilities such as a stroke. My son has a stammer which is where you say the first sound of a word a few times before saying the word. For people who struggle to speak, it is important to remain patient, and to wait longer to respond, do not talk over them or try and guess what they are about to say. This is frustrating and disrespectful for them and can embarrass them, so they are more reluctant to speak.

Slide 18: Recap Important points

Regardless of who you are speaking to, you must always speak with respect. Ensure you are speaking slowly and clearly and only speak using jargon or terminology to people it is appropriate with. This helps to create effective communication in the workplace.

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Segment 9 – Reporting

Slide 1: Index

Reporting is an essential part of the work you do and can be the difference between a client staying well or becoming dangerously sick. There are two main ways of reporting, these are Verbal and Written. This segment will address both verbal and written reporting and the who, what, why, where and how’s of reporting.

Slide 2: How Is Verbal Reporting Done?

Verbal reporting is when you are talking to a person, either in person or on the phone.

Slide 3: What Would You Verbally Report?

This could be regarding a client and their health, needs or cares. Or verbal reporting could be to do with the facility, which could be about things like stock, equipment, or staffing. For example, if you tell the manager that a wheel is wobbly on the medication trolley then you have given them a verbal report. Likewise, if you talk to the nurse about a client who is showing a behavioural or health change, this too is a verbal report. A verbal report may even be as informal as telling a family member that their relative needs a new clothing item.

Slide 4: Who Would You Verbally Report to?

I have just given three examples of verbal reporting, and you will notice they are all to different people. This demonstrates that verbal reporting can be done with many different people, including, other health care assistants, family of the client, mangers, or other health professionals such as doctors, nurses, OTs, or Physical therapists. In fact, anybody connected to the client may receive a verbal report about a client from you, or you may receive a verbal report about them. Many of the verbal reports given will also need to be backed up with a written report. For example, you are given cares to Mrs Yellow, she becomes dizzy and you help her lay down, you would instantly give a verbal report to the nurse to come and check her, but you would also write what happened in her notes, so you will have done a verbal and written report. Likewise, if you go to use a piece of equipment and it is broken, you would let the manager know, and write an incident report, so again you have given both a verbal and written report.

Slide 5: Why Do you need to Verbally Report?

You may wonder why you need to bother giving a verbal report if you must write it down anyway? The answer is, you need to give verbal reports for three reasons: Speed, better communication, and memory. A verbal report can get information to people quickly. For instance, if you had left Mrs Yellow and gone and written the report for the nurse, she may not see it for a few hours, and by then Mrs Yellow could be in a serious health situation and you could be in a lot of trouble for not seeking help earlier. In urgent situations you need to get information to the right people quickly and verbal communication is the most efficient. It is also polite and good communication to talk with people, imagine if you didn’t speak to anybody and just passed notes out? It would not be very friendly or effective. It is good to talk to the families regarding the needs of clients. You also need to be talking to co-workers and reporting in on what you have done, this way they can ask you any questions they may have. It also helps with memory. If you have been told something, and seen it written down you are more likely to remember, for example if you

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have told the manager the paracetamol supply is low, and written it down they are far more likely to remember to order more than if it was just written down somewhere.

Slide 6: When Should You Verbally Report?

You should verbally report any time that you need to tell a co-worker, nurse, doctor, manager, or family member something important regarding a client’s health and wellbeing. It should be done as soon as practical. If it is an emergency or urgent it needs to be done strait away, if it is something that can wait then you need to make sure you do it as soon as practical. For example, if a client is unwell you need to tell the Registered Nurse strait away, however if it is a case of the client wanting a family member to pick up a new cardigan or hairbrush, you wouldn’t drop what you are doing and call them, but you do need to do it as soon as practical so that you remember to call.

Slide 7: What is Written Reporting?

Now let’s move on to written reporting. This means simply that you are writing something down. It may be on a medical chart, or a person’s care notes, or it may be writing an incident report.

Slide 8: Who Reads Your Written Reports?

Not everyone has access to written reports but there are people who will read them. For example, a client can request to read their own reports. Managers and Health professionals such as Nurses, Doctors and Other Care Workers will all be able to read the reports written and if there is ever an investigation or audit the person who is investigating, or auditing will be able to read the notes.

Slide 9: Where Do You Write Your Written Reports?

So where do you write written reports? Client Notes, Medical Charts, Incident Reports are all forms of written reports. Your facility will have a procedures and protocol document on what is to be written in each of these forms and what type of written report should be done for different situations. Generally, a medical chart will be where all medications for a client are written up and you will report when you have given the medication or if the client is absent or refused the medication. You will write up all the cares you have done and anything else you feel is important, on a client’s individual notes. Incident reports are for any events or near accidents that happen so that a facility has a report of it. Many facilities will also have communication books, maintenance logs and other forms of written reports they will expect you to do.

Slide 10: When Should You Write a Report?

When you need to write a report is dependent on the situation. The general rule is as soon as possible after the interaction has happened. With things like medication rounds, this needs to happen at the time they are taken. You should be signing the charts after each client so that you do not get confused as to who has had what medication. For client notes it should be just after you have done their cares, again this is so the information is still fresh in your memory. Incident forms should be done as soon as possible after the situation.

Slide 11: Why Do You Need To Write A Report?

The reason you should be writing up the reports as soon as possible with a fresh memory is that they are legally required, and therefore need to be as accurate as possible. Another reason you need to be writing reports is that it increases communication between staff, you would give a verbal report to a nurse or another staff member who would be directly responsible in the immediate future for the client, but imagine if you had to give verbal reports to everyone about every client! Written reports are so the rest of

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the staff not immediately involved can read and know what is going on for a client. If you have not worked with a client for a few days, you can then read up on what has been happening, so you know what to keep an eye on. For example, if it is written over the last two days the clients appetite has decreased, then you know to keep an eye on what they are eating.

Slide 12: How Do You Write A Report?

Every facility will have a policy and procedures manual on report writing which will state what to report where and how. If you are unfamiliar with your facilities policy and procedure on report writing, then please make the time to read this as soon as possible. The policies will follow the laws about report writing, and generally it will state that only Factual information be reported, you may use words like ‘appears’ for some subjective information such as ‘he appears to be quieter than usual’ but you cannot write ‘he is depressed’ unless there is a proper diagnosis. You should also think about Who, What, Where, Why, How and When to give a full picture in your notes. Reports should never be written in pencil or red pen. Reports that are hand written should be in blue or black pen. Many facilities now are moving to electronic reports and these are acceptable too.

Slide 13: Recapping Important Information

So, to recap what has been discussed, both Verbal and Written reports are necessary and important. Reporting helps maintain effective communication between staff, management, medical professionals, and family. Reporting should be done as soon as possible to remember the information as best as possible. Also written reports are a legal document and should adhere to the policies and procedures required by your facility.

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