Caregivers do great work in their communities. Because they interact with people from all walks of life, it can be hard to figure out how to communicate effectively. Developing robust communication techniques helps caregivers serve people better and find more joy in their work. Communication is an integral part of service delivery. That’s why it’s almost impossible to serve other people if you cannot communicate properly.
While developing outstanding communication skills can take a long time, here are four tips to get you started.
Listen
The most crucial step in communication is to listen. Most people desire someone who will listen to them. Just by listening, caregivers can show the person they’re helping empathy and make them feel like they’re really cared about. The problem is that some people think that they are helping the other person by speaking a lot. An adage goes that silence is gold while speech is silver.
Listening allows you to hear what is being said and internalize before speaking. However, many people listen with the intention of responding.
Don’t be judgmental
It is very easy to judge another person while communicating. As a caregiver, you need to listen to everyone objectively. This means putting all your prejudices aside and treating everybody with respect.
If you have any underlying prejudices against some of the people you attend, you won’t be able to communicate with them properly.
Learn to use the right tone
Sometimes, what you say isn’t as important as how you say it. The tone of your voice speaks volumes! Some people, such as those suffering from Alzheimer’s, are sensitive to the tone being used by caregivers during communication. They might not understand the meaning of those words, but there can be a lot discerned from the sound of the voice.
Don’t argue
The only good thing an argument can do is turn the communication process toxic. Sometimes you have to ask yourself if the argument is worth it. Do you want to be happy or to win the argument? While attending to patients or seniors, try to avoid disputes as much as possible. Although you may be right, don’t correct or argue when communicating.
Interested in learning how to be the best caregiver you can be? Visit BlueDot Cares Home Care for more information today!
