Students enrolled in a health care aide training program will have the opportunity to provide daily assistance to the elderly once they break into the field. By helping clients with day-to-day functions, such as cleaning, meal preparation, bathing and grooming, health care aides enable these individuals to maintain satisfying levels of independence.
Having good communication skills is essential in a health care aide career. This is because these professionals are required to interact with their clients regularly, as well as discuss their health needs with their client’s families, loved ones and other healthcare professionals.
If you are planning to pursue a rewarding career as a health care aide, read on to learn why good communication skills are a critical part of the job.
Health Care Aides Must Effectively Communicate With Medical Professionals
Clear communication between a health care aide and his or her client’s medical team is crucial to providing the proper care.
Most health care aides work under the supervision of doctors and nurses. It is important that they are capable of listening intently to the specific instructions provided by a client’s medical team, and asking questions on how to meet the client’s individual needs.
While some clients will need to take their medication at certain hours of the day, others might have an injury or illness that could affect their mobility. Proper communication between all health care professionals will ensure that the client receives his or her medication when it’s needed, and that he or she has help moving around the house.
Once you become a certified health care aide, you might notice changes in your clients’ behaviour, health or perhaps side-effects from the medication they are consuming. It is very important to communicate such observations to their doctors, to ensure that medical attention is provided.
Health Care Aides Must Always be Able to Communicate with Their Clients
During your caregiver training, you’ll learn that communicating with your clients is among the most important aspects of providing effective care. Not only will you be assisting them, but your presence, feedback and ability to listen can also provide them with companionship.
Some clients may have a limited ability to communicate verbally and this can pose certain boundaries where your responsibilities are concerned. Communication skills like active listening and repeating, as well as the ability to read body language, will come in handy under such circumstances.
For example, some clients might have a difficult time remembering certain small details like names and dates. In these cases, it’s important for health care aides to allow extra time for a client to finish what he or she is saying, and reply to him or her by speaking slowly, clearly and loudly.
Health Care Aides Will Need to Communicate with Their Clients’ Families
In many cases, a health care assistant will act as the link between a client’s entire health care team and their family.
Since you might be responsible for bringing future clients to their appointments with doctors, physiotherapists or speech therapists, you will be required to notify their family members of any medical updates or changes in routine.
Sometimes, the only thing that family members are seeking is reassurance. Therefore, simply discussing your client’s progress with them can help let them know that their loved ones are in good hands.
Are you interested in learning more by enrolling in health care aide courses? Visit Stenberg for more information or to speak with an advisor.
