Care Point
[Being enthusiastic whilst helping & For management]
- The care staff needs to be enthusiastic.
- Things to remember
- Motivate the patients.
- For management
The care staff needs to be enthusiastic.
Obstacles: Always too busy visiting everywhere and doing routine work.
There is no spare time to challenge something new.
The work is always ordered by the boss and there is no room for independent judgement.
Enthusiastic care staff can not develop in the above conditions.
The working environment can not be improved by the care staff alone. Management needs to realise how to improve the working environment.
Please click the icon of "For management".
Things to remember
■ Focus on "theperson" not on the work.
■ Always think "Why?" … Imagine why the person tells you suchthings. What are the reasons?
■ Try to know what the person is like, what he/she used to do,what he/she is good at, what makes her/him pleased etc.
■ Way of talking … Try not to hurt his/her pride. Listen wellto what he/she says and do not just automatically say "no".
■ Do not just follow what he/she says. … Even when he says thathe does not want to get out of the bed, do not just follow whathe says. There are circumstances when you might need to do somethingelse.
■ Always watch carefully … Always watch carefully to find anysmall change or if there is something different today.
■ Touch the body … Do not just talk at the bedside. Touch thebody by washing feet, clipping nails, applying body creams etc.These actions to the body stimulate the brain.
Motivate the patients
【 Encouragemovement 】
Moving one's body, especially the feet, stimulates the brain,and gives motivation to live.
Do not only say "You can stand up more easily if you do thisway", "Let's sit here and talk", or "Shall we walk?", but extendyour hand to assist the movement.
【 Do things together 】
He might be able to do many things, if someone is there withhim.
He might think "I can do that, if I am not alone."
You could say "Shall we go together?", "I will do this here,so please sort out your clothes there", "Let's do that together","I will help you, so let's do that."
【 Family ties 】
"Let's write a letter to your grandson for his birthday.", "Let'scook your son's favourite food."
【 Let the patient decide, let him express his will 】
"Which would you like, tea or coffee?"
"How would you like it?", "I can prepare it for you but pleaseshow me how to do it."
【 Try to find out what the patient can do, then make a rolefor him/her 】
Let the patient do whatever he/she can. Looking after flowersetc.,
Bringing delivered newspaper on his own to his room. Becomingthe organiser of the floor community.
【 Make place or opportunities where the patient can think oract voluntaril 】
Becoming a chief of the club's committee.
Create new activities or club. Look for a lecturer for a dayseminar.
Decide when to ask for volunteers and what you would like toask them.
For management
"Enthusiastichelping" can not be only achieved by enthusiastic care staff.It is essential to set us the environment in order to achievethe "enthusiastic helping".
The three factors that make care staff work enthusiastically.
1 「Many Care staff」
・Have sufficient staff, even part-timers help.
2 「Assisting tools」
・Convenient tools make it easier for care staff and help patient'sself-support.
(1) Walker … Wheel chair is not the first solution if the patientfinds it difficult to walk. A walker is highly recommended beforestart to use a wheel chair.
(2) Electric bed … An electric height-adjustable bed is highlyrecommended. That prevents the helpers from hurting their backsand it also allows the patient to get out of the bad easily.
(3) Transportation aids … Sliding board to helps the move frombed to wheel chair, sliding seat, electric lift, etc need tobe more available.
(4) Sitting aids … When the patient can sit comfortably as wellas safely, the life of the patient becomes easier and more lively.Lying in bed shuts the patient out of activities and view. Acustomised wheel chair or cushion that assists to sit on a standardwheel chair may be of help.
3 「Trust」
・Management needs to trust the care staff and give them certainrights.
・Make create areas where care staff can exercise independentjudgement.
・「Don't do that.」「Do this.」type orders do not make care staffwork enthusiastically. They tend to become passive when theyfind that they can not decide anything on their own.
・Quality of care emerges from inside the organisation. It cannot be controlled from outside. The management if a workplacean active and enthusiastic work place, depends totally on thequality of management.