Base your language on the questions put to you and the cognitive ability of the patient you are speaking with.īe prepared to repeat yourself and express concepts in several different ways to make sure your message is understood.Ĭarolyn is a 72-year-old female patient with a history of mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease. Try to use language that is simple, clear and non-threatening, while staying honest and true. Be mindful to put things so they are easy to understand, but without coming across as condescending. Using complicated medical terminology, or ‘jargon’, isn’t a good way to talk to any patient, but it is particularly detrimental when speaking with the older patient. You might find out something vital to the care and comfort of that patient just by spending a few extra minutes with them. If you are their nurse, and available for their concerns, they may be more willing to talk to you than to the doctor, who may only spend five minutes in the room. It is important to show your patient respect, regardless of their age or cognitive ability, and dedicate the right amount of time to allow them to express themselves, so to get the whole story.Īnother challenge you may encounter when communicating with some older people is that they may not feel comfortable speaking openly with medical professionals, like doctors. Showing any signs of stress or impatience could cause them to shut down and close off from you. One of the most important considerations when communication with older adults is allowing them time. If you plan on asking a patient about their drug history or HIV status, for example, then finding a more private environment is essential. Emergency department cubicles, and beds in multi-bedded rooms are often only separated by a curtain. If you are going to be asking questions of a personal nature, environment is particularly important. Loud chaotic environments also increase the chances of you, a patient or colleague mishearing important information. Instead, it should be used to help alleviate a patient’s distress. This is problematic given that the tone of your voice makes up roughly 40% of face-to-face communication (Mehrabian 1971). Approaching a patient in a busy, high-stimulus area with lots of people can hinder your communication.īeing in a loud, chaotic emergency department may require you to raise your voice. Take a moment to consider your environment. Find some common ground between you and your patient. You may not have a lot of time in a shift to begin a meaningful conversation with every single patient, but for many long-stay patients, having a familiar face and some common ground between the two of you can make all the difference to their length of stay. Think about broaching small, less emotionally charged topics at first, as a way of opening the door to more significant conversations. Self-disclosure is unfamiliar territory for some people, while others might not have the vocabulary to describe how they feel, may not see the relevance of mentioning it, may expect judgment, or might fear they are overwhelming the other person.
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