Principles of Communication in Adult Social Care Settings
Assignment 301 – Principles of communication in adult social care settings. Ai) Identify four different reasons why people communicate. .Create and maintain relationships .To teach and to learn .To share opinions .Feelings and emotions Aii) Describe two ways how effective communication can affect relationships in an adult social care setting between individuals using the service, their carers, colleagues and other Practitioners. Effective communication is essential in building a meaningful relationship between the resident and the carer as it can help build trust and respect.
Effective communication is fundamental in regards to the resident’s needs and preferences and to ensure they are met. As a carer i would discuss the options available to the resident to allow them to make an informed choice in regards to their care. Aiii) Using the table below, identify three ways of finding out the communication and language needs of an individual. For each method, describe how effective it is at establishing the needs of the individual. METHOD| HOW EFFECTIVE IS THIS METHOD? | Asking/Observing theIndividual. Asking/Observing is probably the best way of establishing the individual’s communication and language needs as this would immediately allow me to establish their usual language, if they are visually or hearing impaired etc. | Check the Care plan for the individuals communication needs. | The Care plan can be a good source of information on the needs of the resident, but if documented incorrectly due to human error this method becomes ineffective. | If the first two don’t provide you with the needed information you could ask resident’s family, friends, doctor or other professionals who have worked with the individual. This is another effective method, only to be used if the first two fail. | Aiv) Describe three factors to consider when promoting effective communication. .Does he/she have any equipment to aid them in communicating e. g. glasses, are they clean and are they the correct proscription? Hearing aids are they switched on, does it need new batteries and is it fitted correctly. .People suffering from dysphasia might get frustrated when trying to communicate. They might have difficulties finding the correct word so patience is required. .Is the area free from noise and distractions, and can the individual clearly see and hear you?
Av) Describe three verbal and three non verbal communication methods and styles that a social worker may use in the adult care settings. VERBAL| NON VERBAL| Expression of emotions (nonspoken)e. g. grunts of exasperation, screams of pain or delight, cries of sorrow, whimpers or utterances of joy| Facial Expressionfacial expressions for happiness, sadness, anger and fear are similar throughout the world and are a huge proportion of nonverbal communication| Written CommunicationWriting is considered a form of verbal communication because words are involved. GesturesCommon gestures include waving, pointing, and using fingers to indicate numeric amounts. | Oral CommunicationWhen people speak face-to-face, via the phone or by webcam, it’s considered verbal communication| Involuntary nonverbal communication Movements and attitudes that show how people feel. | Avi) Explain why it is important to respond to an individual’s reactions during communication. Shows you have respect for the individual and that you are truly interested and listening to what He/she is saying. Avii) Explain how an individual’s background can influence the way they communicate?
Read also: “Advice About Communication”
Individual’s backgrounds, customs and beliefs differ and may make communication a challenge, in some cultures for example, children are not allowed to speak to certain adults. Other cultures don’t allow women to talk to men they do not know. Life events can also influence the way people communicate. A person who has suffered a stroke might find it challenging to communicate verbally. A person who has previously been abused might be withdrawn and have difficulties communicating what they want. Aviii) Identify three examples of barriers to communication and explain how you could overcome each barrier?
BARRIER| HOW IT CAN BE OVERCOME| Physical barriers| Physical barriers such as noise and temperature are easily overcome, try turning off the television or radio or setting the room to a more comfortable temperature. | Physiological barriers| Ensure any aids the individual needs to communicate are made available and are working correctly. | Psychological barriers| An individual suffering from dementia may sometimes struggle to communicate their wishes, in this situation I would reassure the individual Simplifying my words and speaking clearly and slowly giving them time to ask me questions and respond. Aix) Describe two strategies that you could use to clarify misunderstandings. .Ask the individual to repeat what you have told them to confirm their understanding. .Ask the individual questions to determine their understanding. .One way of preventing the misunderstanding in the first place is to refer to the individuals care plan to determine his/her preferred mean of communication Ax) A social care worker wants to enable more effective communication with Individuals using the service. Explain how they could access extra support or services that may be helpful.
If a service user is demonstrating hearing difficulties, they could be referred to a general practitioner for a hearing test to determine whether or not the individual needs a hearing aid. Also if a service user is demonstrating visual difficulties could be referred to the opticians. Service users that have previously suffered a stroke may have difficulty producing and using speech, they may need a referral to Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists www. rcslt. org. uk Task B Case Study
You are a social care worker and a service user, Hannah, tells you that she is unhappy taking her new medication. She thinks she does not need it and so she is throwing it away. You know from her care plan that Hannah does need to take the medication regularly and gets confused. Hannah begs you to keep this confidential and not tell anyone especially her daughter, who she sees regularly, as her daughter will be very angry. Bi) How would you explain the term ‘confidentiality’ to Hannah? I would first establish Hanna’s capacity and try to explain it in a way she would understand.
I would try to explain to Hannah that I would respect her right to privacy and would uphold my confidentiality as long as it was in her best interests as I have a duty of care towards Hanna. Bii) Describe the possible tensions that may arise between telling others of Hannah’s decision and keeping this information totally confidential. In telling others of Hanna’s decision to discontinue taking her medication it could leave Hannah feeling betrayed and could cause Hanna to stop trusting me. It would be wrong not to inform my Manager/GP as I have a duty of care to Hannah.
Bii) Describe ways to maintain confidentiality in day to day communication. To maintain confidentiality I would ensure all handovers of service users information was done in private and in an unused room as not to be heard by others. Also by ensuring daily progress notes and care plans were secured in a locked cupboard. Biv) Explain when and how a social care worker should get advice about confidentiality. If a service user asked me to keep certain information confidential and I was unsure of what to do, I would read the policies and procedures or speak to my manager to find the correct course of action.
