Communication in Health and Cocial Care

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Effective one to one communication in a health and social care requires, listening skills, information- giving skills and questioning skills. Care workers communicate one to one on a daily basis in informal communication and formal communication. Informal communication can take place when a care worker is communicating with another work colleague who is also a friend, or when they have built a relationship with a patient or relative that they have known very well. One to one communication is used on a daily basis within the health and social care sector so they can provide the best amount of care to those who are in need, an example of this is in a doctors surgery.

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The type of care provided in a doctor surgery is very formal between the Doctors and patient. A Doctors communication and interpersonal skills gives the ability to gather information in order to facilitate accurate diagnosis, counsel appropriately and give therapeutic instructions and establish caring relationships with patients.

Groups

Group communication can be a difficult one especially in health and social care as it’s only effective if everyone is involved, because some care workers are more opinionated than others. Group work is more effective if there is a team leader or if someone takes charge. An example of group communication in Health and social is when social services have meeting regarding individuals. Normally these types of group discussions communicate in a formal way but can also be informal towards the young person attended the meeting. This happens so the young person will be able to understand the meeting and exactly what is going on.

Formal

Formal communication is a form of communication used in a professional setting where members of staff put themselves in a situation which allows them to introduce themselves and discuss health and social care matters. For example a parent and teacher conversation would be formal as you speak with respect and in a formal manner regarding the subject you need to talk about. As a staff member in a health and social care setting formal conversations will happen every day as you will need to meet new people every day and other professionals. Informal

Informal communication is when you know the person well and are able to chat to them and approach them confidently. This would be with your friends and families or work colleagues. So the way we speak to people in a care setting would vary and differentiate depending on the situation you are in and the person you are working with. An example of this type of communication is in a residential care home, although the staff provide formal care and act in a professional matter, they also act informal because they get to know the residents on a daily basses and gain a massive understanding how they like to communicate.

Between colleagues
Communication between colleagues is very important in the health and social care setting. For example in a hospital communication is very important with all the staff to ensure they provide the correct care to all the patients. Communications happens on a daily basses, when ambulances are brought to the hospital, the paramedics must give a handover to the doctors so they know exactly what they are dealing with and exactly what needs treating. If there is no communication from the paramedic to the doctor, the patient could die as there is not enough time to do a full over check.

Between professionals
The type of communication between professionals is so important in any sector whether its childcare or health and social care. The type of communication should be formal and confidentiality is also important. People using services

“The principles of good communication are an important part of making sure that the individual is fully involved in dealing with any issues or difficult situations. The impact of dealing with situations in a way which makes people feel valued in enormous” Often the things we will do will be basic and do not take a great deal of effort or demand major changes, but the result will be so rewarding. Yvonne Nolan (2005). Health & social care (adults). oxford: Neil moonie and sian lavers.24. Language

When providing care for someone who speaks a different language, it’s very possible that you could need an interpreter for any serious discussions or communication, so that information can be accurately exchanged. It’s important the care giver uses pictures, diagrams and non-verbal signs and expressions. “Sign language and gestures can help with basic level of communication” Yvonne Nolan (2005). Health & social care (adults). oxford: Neil moonie and sian lavers. p10-11. Dialect, slang & Jargon

Dialect communication is difficult as local people may not understand certain terminology if they are not from the area. It’s important that care givers are patient and understanding and develop the skill of asking sensitively for explanations and translations in a way that makes it clear. As a care provider it’s important to try different ways of saying things if the service user doesn’t understand. It’s important to speak short sentences and use correct body language.

Non- Verbal
In the health and social care setting it’s important to understand non-verbal communication, especially as a care giver. There are many things to remember such as posture. It’s important how you position your body language when providing care, for example sitting with crossed arms can mean “I’m not taking any notice” but leaning forward can show interest. Gestures are another example of non-verbal communication, Gestures are hand and arm movements that can help understand what a person is saying. When people move their hands and arms quickly can show that a person is excited. Proximity and personal space can show a relationship between people, whether they are friends, or even intimate in the conversation. Although in health and social care personal space is very important and carers should never get in a patients face and should respect this. Touch is another non-verbal communication, touching a person can send a message of care, power and even a sexual interest. It’s important that care givers do not make assumptions about touch; even holding someone’s hand might be interpreted as trying to dominate. Another example of Non-verbal communication is body movement, this is very important as this is how we present ourselves.

This is really important while working in the health and social care setting because as a carer you will have to meet many new people on a daily basis, so the way our body movement is says a lot about us, specially our first impression. The way we walk, move our heads, sit and cross are arms can say a lot about how where feeling, and the service user will be able to know if we don’t have a can do attitude. The type of voice tone is also important while working in this sector as the service user will be able to pick up on what we are feeling, for example if we are angry we might talk a lot faster with a fixed tone, but a calm, slow voice with varying tone may send a message of being friendly. Facial expression is another form of communication. “faces can send very complex messages and we can read them easily” our faces basically show exactly how we feel, whether we are emotional, stressed, anxious, optimistic or even surprised. Yvonne Nolan (2005). Health & social care (adults). oxford: Neil moonie and sian lavers. P41. Reflective listening

Reflective listening is very important when working in the health and social care setting, as many service users need a lot of support help provide the best care possible, sometimes people will just need a shoulder to cry on, but other times situations can be a lot more serious in which they need feedback and a lot emotional support. “This technique is called reflective listening. For example, after the person has talked for several minutes and has come to a stop, summarize what you have heard” http://www.bhevolution.org/public/reflective_listening.page

Communication needs can be met through text messaging, email, telephone Communication needs can be met in many ways, for example, text messaging , telephone and even email. Although face to face communication is better, in some situations telephone communication is also an advantage to have because its instant, relatively safe and accurate way of communicating and passing on information. Although there are some disadvantages for example there can be problems with the line and also its east to misinterpret someone’s meaning when you cannot see their facial expression and body language. Text messaging is a another form of communication, this is also instant but sometimes the person receiving the text might not reply so then the communication stops or once again the communication can be misinterpret by the individuals slang or even symbols. Email is another form of communication that is very effective and use full to send relevant documents and even just general enquiries. Symbols and signs

Signs and symbols are an effective way of communication in health and social care as some service users may have difficulty in communicating or are deaf so there would be symbols to show or summarize what you are expecting them to do or what the client wants . Basically it’s a way to include everyone so that everyone has an opportunity. Braille

Braille is a very effective form of communication which is used to suit a person with sight difficulties. It’s and arraignment of raised dots on a page which indicate letters, words and numbers. Makaton

Makaton is a language programme that uses signs and symbols and pictures to help people to communicate. It is designed to support spoken language and the signs and symbols are used with speech, in spoken word order this is a very effective form of communication to meet the needs of the individual.

Silence

Sometimes a pause in a conversation can make others feel embarrassed as it looks as if you weren’t listening or interested. It can give the impression to others that you are “thinking” or “let’s think” or even “I need to think”. Silent pauses can be alright as non-verbal messages which show respect and interest is given. Although in some cases such as in “Interpersonal communication is a process of sharing ideas and feelings between individuals. Interpersonal communication skills can be improved through appropriate knowledge, practice, feedback and reflection. Understanding interpersonal communication is essential in maintaining healthy relationships. It is important in our family life, too, as it affects nearly every aspect of our existence.”

http://www.ehow.co.uk/info_8214983_factors-influence-interpersonal-communication.html

There are many factors that can have an impact on how people communicate in a health and social care setting, this way care givers try to overcome barriers to improve the environment and make it easier for the service users to communicate.

Noise

Noise can have a massive effect on how a person communicates with someone, especially if the person has hearing impairments as the person could find it very difficult to concentrate on what is being said. So it’s very important that the level of noise is controlled so the service user can communicate effectively. Someone who also has speech impairment will also not be able to communicate if they cannot receive or pass information because there is too much noise. An example of this in a health and social care setting is if a service user is in a waiting room in a hospital has a hearing aid then this can have a massive impact on the way they communicate. The reason for this is because there will be a lot of people coming in and out of the hospital, people talking on phones and communicating in groups and one to one. This will be very difficult for the service user as the hearing aid will amplify background noises as well as the speaker. In a health and social care setting we try to overcome this and eliminate the noise through having a desk between the receptionist and service users so it’s easier for them to lip read if necessary and able to understand there facial expressions more effectively . Also doctors and nurses will try to eliminate the amount of people coming in and out and deal with people as quick as they can to try and avoid stressing the service users out. Doctors and nurses will also try and speak to patients in a separate room if they find it difficult in noise situations this will be easier for the service user and the doctors and nurses to avoid any miss understanding.