It is crucial for caregivers to establish a good relationship with their patients. Creating a friendly rapport is key to providing quality care and for healing to take place.
The following are 6 ways to help caregivers create a healthy relationship with their patients and even form a genuine bond:
- Ask for help -- The relationship between a caregiver and patient is extremely intimate and often involves confusing, emotionally challenging scenarios. Enhancing communication and ensuring that you both can speak openly with one another can improve this relationship. In order to build trust, the patient needs to be comfortable with asking for help so their caregiver can provide quality care, and the caregiver needs to be able to ask for help from their patient if they need clarification or have any questions or concerns.
- Show compassion -- It is extremely easy to get frustrated with yourself and others when in a difficult situation. However, frustration will only lead to a strained relationship. Instead of allowing frustration to take hold, caregivers and patients should seek to have compassion for one another. Compassion for yourself and others allows people to soften their hearts toward one another.
- Be patient -- Patience is the most important thing a caregiver can have when in a stressful situation. It is important for caregivers to understand that their patients may not always be capable of being in control of their thoughts or actions and to give the person extra time to calm down.
- Be a motivator -- Encouraging your patient to try new activities or tasks can boost their self-esteem and make them feel more capable than they believe they are. This will change their attitude and help to strengthen your relationship.
- Be respectful -- Caregivers must have a deep respect for their patients, as well as their patient’s families and their patient’s homes. When a caregiver is respectful of a patient’s home, belongings and preferences, the patient feels respected in turn. This leads to less drama and a more comfortable environment for everyone. Patients must also respect their caregivers and realize they are human beings as well. They are here to help them and provide them with quality care.
- Do things your patient enjoys -- If your patient loves to read but is unable to, then read to them. Put on their favorite music and listen to it with them. Maybe you have a patient who loves puzzles, scrapbooking, or board games. Ask if they would like to do these activities with you and they will appreciate the honest effort that you are putting into building a better relationship.
ACCESS Nursing Services delivers safe, effective, and compassionate home care in order to preserve patient dignity and facilitate healing. For more information on ACCESS Nursing Home Care Services, visit https://www.accessnursing.com/.
