Interpersonal Interaction M2

M2
To asses the role of effective communication and interpersonal interaction in a health and social care context, I will demonstrate this scenario concerning working with individuals who suffer from dementia within a care home.
The first step in tackling such a situation is being able to understand and asses the needs involved for the individual who has dementia. Being well aware of the challenges laid ahead for their care is essential. Another aspect that is vital is that staff are fully qualified and trained to the highest standard to assist in effective communication and cooperation. There may be advocates that will support the individual with dementia by talking on their behalf or helping them communicate more effectively when reading
and writing difficulties are at cause. Many forms of assistances maybe be at play such as interpreters, translators, signers, mentors, counsellors, and etc.
With effective communication the individual must be ensured that they are being supported, valued, secure, being well heard and understood and having a full sense of dignity even though their condition may fail to indicate to them that they are. This can be achieved by structured training, qualifications, facilities, equipment and the desire to care for the individual.
Way to asses effectiveness of the communication is to use open and closed questions, pace, prompts, reflection, clarifying, summarizing, tone, clarity, paraphrasing(summary of what is being said), body language, reflecting, body proximity and eye contact.
Based on the theories of communications by Argyle and Tuckman one could effectively apply the with such a situation:
For example if the person with dementia forgets a question you had posed to them, then having the patience and understanding to repeat to them for clarity will help in easing off situations where frustrations can arise. Applying the four phases of Tuckman theory could help in planning ahead the situations in which if you was working within a group where conflicts can erupt over issues of communications such as misunderstanding how to give a medication.
It is very important that people with dementia are treated with respect, it is always important to remember that a person with dementia are still unique and valuable human being despite their illness.When a person with dementia finds that their mental abilities are declining, they often feel vulnerable and in need of reassurance and support. The people closest to them such as service providers, friends and family need to do everything they can to help the person to retain their sense of identity and feelings of
self-worth.
The way you can help someone with dementia to feel valued is by helping them to feel respected and valued for who they are now, as well as for who they were in the past. There are many things that the people around them can do to help such as: trying to be flexible and tolerant making time to listen, have regular chats, and enjoy being with the person showing affection in a way they both feel comfortable with finding things to do together, like creating a life history book.
the way you can communicating with someone with dementia is before you speak, if you are rushing or feeling stressed, try to take a moment to calm yourself.Consider what you are going to talk about. It may be useful to have an idea for a particular topic ready, or to ask yourself what you want to achieve from the conversation, make sure you have the person's full attention.Try to make eye contact. This will help the person focus on you and minimize competing noises, such as the radio, TV, or other people's conversations.
In order for someone with dementia to understand what you are trying to say is always best if you speak clearly and calmly and slightly in a slower pace, allowing time between sentences for the person to process the information and to respond. This might seem like an uncomfortable pause to you but it is important for supporting the person to communicate.Avoid speaking sharply or raising your voice, as this may distress the person, using short, simple sentences can also
help. it is important to know what to say when communicating with people with dementia always try to be positive, avoid asking too many direct questions because people with dementia can become frustrated if they can't find the answer. If you have to, ask questions one at a time, and phrase them in a way that allows for a 'yes' or 'no' answer and try not to ask the person to make complicated decisions. Giving someone a choice is important where they can cope with it, but too many options can be confusing and frustrating.Listen carefully to what the person is saying, and give them plenty of encouragement, when you haven't understood fully, tell the person what you have understood and check with them to see if you are right and If the person has difficulty finding the right word or finishing a sentence, ask them to explain it in a different way. Listen out for clues. Also pay attention to their body language. The expression on their face and the way they hold themselves and move about can give you clear signals about how they are feeling.
A person with dementia will read your body language. Sudden movements or a tense facial expression may cause upset or distress, and can make communication more difficult that's why is important to make sure that your body language and facial expression match what you are saying.Never stand too close or stand over someone to communicate: it can feel intimidating. Instead, respect the person's personal space and drop below their eye level. This will help the person to feel more in control of the situation.