Good communication skills are the number one priority for all healthcare professionals. To ensure maximum quality of care and make clients feel understood and looked after, healthcare workers need to be active listeners as well as compassionate communicators.
The goal is to make sure that all clients’ needs are being considered and to help the vulnerable navigate difficult emotions arising from a dramatic change to their lives. This could range from hospitalisation with an injury or illness, to adjusting to a new life in which they depend on a carer’s help, etc.
Studies have pointed out many negative consequences of poor communication in healthcare. Obvious examples of client and staff dissatisfaction aside, a lack of effective communication can compromise clients health, leading to preventable injuries or even death.
Inadequate communication between healthcare providers also adds greater cost burden on healthcare systems, decreasing quality of care. So, to say that good communication in healthcare settings can potentially save lives would not be an exaggeration.
Effective communication leads to the forming of a positive relationship between clients and care workers, helping clients feel more at ease as well as increasing their willingness and capacity to follow through with recommendations. By being more likely to adhere to treatment and engage in preventive health behaviours, clients of empathic and attentive care workers achieve better health outcomes.
But it is not just the client-care worker relationship that rely on impeccable communication. When it comes to providing help for elderly living at home or caring for adults with disabilities, professionals across various departments need to discuss together the procedures and treatment options for their clients, as well as communicate with the client’s family.
Employees of home care services and healthcare professionals within elderly health care must be trained to overcome various obstacles that are likely to arise. Communication issues may stem from a client’s hearing or speech impairment, confusion caused by dementia or a similar condition, existing language barriers, or trying to talk in an overly noisy or distracting environment.
Clients can also be under a lot of stress- feeling anxious about their health, life and future. It is the care worker’s responsibility to help them feel more at ease, make sure they know they are valued, and boost their chance of recovery by making them feel in control of their own life.
This is something our staff at Caremark excel at. Our clients are cared for by qualified professionals with genuine desire to help people live the healthiest possible lives. So if you are seeking healthcare assistance with a guaranteed approach of kindness and compassion, look no further!
