Strategies That can be Used to Clarify Misunderstandings

There are many ways when situations can be misunderstood, this doesn’t just mean verbal. It could mean body language, attitude and the ways that you interact with another person. When you support somebody you will always have to get to know how is best to understand some one and then you as a support worker to approach situations and deal with. Language differences

When providing support for some one that speaks a different language, can be a difficult and isolating experience for the person.

When in this situation you need to understand exactly what language they talk and what they actually feel comfortable in ways of being approached. When in their home or in a care setting, supporting them, involving and making a relationship with them as an individual will help make the person bit more comfortable. Always before interacting or communicating with any one, always make sure you know what language they talk and ways of communication comfortable with.

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If you are unaware of this you can ask friends, family members or even a manager that will know information about the client’s needs.

Never just assume you know what language or way some-one prefers to communicate, as this will cause upset and distress to the individual. You can also go to your local adult service department, which will provide you with a list of interpreters and may be able to help you. A professional interpreter, could be used on many occasions also on a to have when an individual talks another language on serious discussions or communication issues.

Even though an interpreter isn’t going to be alongside you all the time when communicating with you, there are other ways that you can communicate with the person.

This could involve flash cards or sign language, but also this would give you a great advantage to learn the language as you go along through the flash cards or even the sign language. This is again as long as the individual is comfortable with this situation. The suggestion to use the flash cards and the sign language may be fine with one person doesn’t mean that this maybe fine with another. As this could be due to difference of religion and culture. To what we think would be a friendly gesture or positive body language, this could be highly offensive to their culture and ways of communicating. This is a good reason why to double check with what some people think is acceptable and not to other cultures and religions.

Distress

People deal with different events in many different ways. When dealing with some one that may be showing signs of distress, there is little you can do other than communicating and the way you handle the situation can often reduce it. Even though the person will be showing signs of being distressed, you must be careful to not pressurise people to discuss more than what they actually want. If they are unwilling to talk you then see if they want to talk to someone else, try and offer the choice of a member of their family, another member of staff or a close family friend.

Being this distressed maybe sufficient for some people and they may be able to deal with their own unhappiness or grief and also knowing they still have additional support from others around them and yourself. It is certain that what someone is showing signs of distress is to approaching in a calm and positive way. As this could be showed as a threatening way if not approached in the correct manner and could be a risk to you or other people, but if at any point you feel for your personal safety, or of others, you should immediately summon help.

Getting Help

Getting help is what someone in everyday life may need to do at some point. As everyone can’t deal with every situation that they are faced with. Each person will have no their own limitations, which is important and will show a higher degree of maturity and self-awareness than taking risks. This is nothing to be ashamed of, if you need help there are many ways of getting the help you need. You can contact family members, or other professional colleagues with experience and skills to help you deal with the situation. If some-one else who you are dealing with becomes distressed or aggressive, never hesitate to go and ask some-one for reassurance or help.

As this can progress from some-one being upset, to distressed, then to being aggressive and in most cases anger. Then you will need to go and get help immediately. People who will progress to anger doesn’t always aim it at you who is trying to help them, they just have a build-up of frustration which you will see in their face. You need to look for help as you don’t know what the person intends to do, to themselves or others around them. Most of the time they will harm themselves. Which seeking advice and help is a first step which you will also have to explain to the person what you are exactly doing to help and protect them.

How to Offer Support

When trying to help some-one that is distressed, you first need to find out what sort of support they want and need. Some-times it is as simple as someone to listen to them or a hand to hold and reassurance. When you approaching an individual and providing unwanted support, this can sometimes be as damaging as offering too little or none at all. There are risks to providing unwanted support could be- Making the person feel disempowered and feel like they can’t help or support themselves any more.

Feel due to you interfering that they feel they have be forced to talk about more than they wanted to. May start to be over-dependant on you for help and support , which may reduce their ability to manage and make decisions for themselves If there was a little or no support at all given this may lead to- Making the person feel isolated and feels like nobody carers or is interested in what problems they have. Feel they are unworthy and disliked.

Feel very distressed and angry at the lack of care and interest from the outside world. Looking at the different types of support is on 3 levels this is- Practical support- giving information, offering a hug or holding hands, making a telephone call, providing transport or other practical assistance, contacting someone on behalf of the person in distress or meeting an appropriate professional. Emotional support- using listening skills, using counselling skills. Immediate emergency assistance- summoning immediate help from a colleague, a senior member of staff, an appropriate professional or the emergency services.