Real-Life Communication
Home support workers need excellent communication skills. Good verbal
communication is extremely important because much of every day is spent speaking
to clients.
"You have to be able to communicate with people from all
walks of life," says home support specialist Kevin Martin. "You have to remember,
you could be looking after somebody like the rich heiress in the area who's
going to need the same help as the guy who's been a farmer for 70 years.
"There
isn't one specific group of people that you're working with," Martin adds.
"You're working with everyone, and you have to be able to talk at different
levels. You have to be able to talk to somebody who has been working in the
fields their whole life."
Home support workers must have effective
interpersonal skills for use not only with clients, but also with the client's
family and members of the client's health-care team.
The need for
good communication skills doesn't end there. Home support workers have to
keep track of what they do with and for patients. They must then give reports
to doctors, specialists and others involved in the client's care. You cannot
let your own opinions emerge in the report. You must only report the facts
-- what you observed and what you did.
Write a report based on the
following situation.
You are a home support worker. You regularly
visit a single teenage mother who is on social assistance. Her child was born
prematurely and is thought to have suffered some brain damage at birth due
to a lack of oxygen. The girl's family has cut all ties with her. It's your
job to stop by regularly, help with the light housework, prepare nutritious
meals and monitor the baby.
There is no question that the mother is
feeling a lot of stress. However, during the last couple of visits, you've
noticed increasing tension on her part. When you arrive today, the baby is
crying hysterically. Upon picking him up, you can't help but observe that
he is clad in a filthy diaper that hasn't been changed in a long time. The
sheets in the crib are also soiled.
After changing the baby, you give
him a bottle. It's obvious to you that he is very hungry.
The mother
seems sullen and uncaring, but doesn't actually say anything to that effect.
In fact, it is obvious she is trying to pretend everything is fine. It crosses
your mind that she may have been drinking, but you can't smell any liquor
on her breath. Maybe it's drugs?
You worry that she might do something
drastic.
The fridge is empty, so you sit down with her and make a
grocery list. The mother says she is planning to buy groceries today, but
you highly doubt it. Then she says she doesn't have enough money left for
groceries. You know that she should have enough, as you helped her write up
a monthly budget. Now you are even more suspicious about possible drug use.
Next, you set to work on the baby's room. By the time the laundry
is done and the crib is cleaned up, the baby is asleep.
Now you must
write a report to your supervisor. Remember, only the facts can go in your
report. You have your own opinions as to what is going on. They may be correct;
however, you can't include them in the report. The report must clearly and
concisely outline simply what you observed and how you dealt with it.