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| *Health issues>>>Mental Health issues |
describe how you can effectively communicate sensitive and complex issues to a person in a care home? |
Issue how do you communicate complex and sensitive issues to patients e.g issues to do with a big illness or withdrawal of an offer e.t.c Best Tip As people have said above, you do need to be aware and sensitive to the mental state of the person at the time that you are talking to them. I'm assuming that you are referring to a care home for the elderly rather than say, for people with learning disabilities. If so, then you need to remember that periods of confusion and lucidity(ie being'with it' and aware in the here and now) can come and go. Confusion can be caused by by infections as well as dementia and lift when the infection is cured. Even when it is dementia, the person can often have periods of alertness and awareness, so pick your time to have those conversations It can also help to use different types of information- eg as well as talking to the person, can you leave them the info in writing, or use pictures etc. There are some good resources for people with learning disabilities which might also be useful for older people (eg Books Beyond Words, St George's Hospital Medical School, which look at 'difficult' issues like death, dying, moving home, abuse, bereavment, serious illness in an accessible manner for someone with cognitive impairment). The only other thing I'd add is that when someone is confused (eg through dementia), it is important to recognise, validate and repsond to the emotional content of their conversation as much as the factual content (eg someone repeatedly asking for their husband to come to them when he actually died a few years back does not necessarily need factual correction as much as sympathetic / empathic reponse to the distress, fear and loneliness that their request is also communicating). Always, but always, treat with respect. Others you need to consult with their doctor Shouldn't your superiors be teaching you this? It is best to talk to their relatives (a son, or daughter) if the patient is old. It is best to tell them straight up and open minded the truth of all issues. Listen to sunflare6 Make sure that you have an awareness of their cognitive abilities at the time and check out if they are confused etc. Do they have capacity to understand and retain the information you want to give them? Make sure that you are open and honest with them about the issues, keep to simple language and give opportunity to check understanding. Encourage the person to ask you questions and give them time and space to digest the information. Be prepared to discuss the issue again when they have had chance to think about it. |
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