Firstly, it’s the residents. Having good and efficient communication allows you to meet all of their care needs correctly. Also, you build up trust and confidence which is also very important. Depending on each individuals needs you will have to communicate in many different ways. This can be verbal, your body language, sign language, picture/flash cards, brail. Also for the resident to be able to communicate freely with you allows you to know if there are any concerns that needs addressing.
Their relatives and friends. Again, very important as they are the ones that really know the individuals, therefore having continuous and good communication allows all needs to be met. Also again, grows trust and confidence between relatives and staff.
Staff. Working as a good team is primarily down to good communication. As a senior, I have to be able to communicate well with my staff, including domestic and kitchen, my other senior and managers. Doing this ensures that everything runs smoothly and as it should. Having good communication stops misunderstandings and prevent mistakes from happening.
District nurses. Normally these come on a weekly basis and it’s important that we keep communication with them. If anything changes in an individual, then we will know what care is needed and on the other hand if we notice anything that raises a concern it’s important that we communicate with them promptly in order for the individual to receive the correct treatment as quickly as possible.
This would also apply with doctors, for assessing changes in health, deterioration, their mental health, to their medication.
CQC. These are very important. Whenever they come into your work setting they are watching everything that you do, and taking it all in. Showing good communication is a positive way of proving good practises and good running home. Also there will be occasions when I would have to directly speak to them when they come into the home to ask their questions.
There are also a lot more health professionals and other groups of people that I have to communicate with. Social workers, solicitor’s, paramedics, opticians, hearing clinics, mobility companies, occupational therapists, hospital staff, mental health teams.
1.2 – Having good and efficient communication for all reasons listed above and more. There are many ways where we can communicate easily, clearly and properly.
In my current job, we have a system which is run all through the Samsung tablet device. So all daily notes, entertainment notes, activity notes etc. are recorded here. Each staff member has their own username and password. It’s very effective because you can clearly and easily refer to anything that you need and it saves time and confusion. On this system is also messaging. I can receive messages from my managers or in fact other members of staff informing me of any changes to medications, the change in care to provide or even just to ask favours or to ask for set things to be done. Also for sending reminders to staff. I can in turn send messages with anything that I feel necessary. On the messaging system it also allows you to see when someone has read the messages. Having this ensures that we don’t hear the ‘no one told me’ or ‘I didn’t know’ excuses when mistakes are made or things just aren’t done. I have to remind staff and prompt them that they check their messages before the start of their shift in case there is anything that they need to know, and to even prompt them to send messages themselves when they feel something to worth everyone’s attention.
In previous experiences, I have known communication books. These are good, and like the messaging system above it just allows you to write any changes, reminders or to ask for something to be done and each staff member is to read this book at the start of their shift and to sign when read and