Improving communication between patients, carers and professionals

24 February 2009

Older people with neurological conditions, and the professionals who work with them, are taking part in a Brain and Spine Foundation project to identify communication skills training needs.

Between November 2008 and January 2009 almost 470 health and social care professionals took part in our consultation on their communication skills training needs. We also heard the views of 76 older people with a neurological condition on how communication between patients, carers and professionals can be improved.

The findings revealed that professionals have similar difficulties in providing good quality care to their older patients or residents if time is limited or when trying to make themselves understood, or have to deal with a language barrier or the lack of communication aids (just to mention a few challenges).

Training needs

Speech and language therapists are specifically trained in communication skills and therefore better equipped to deal with the communication issues resulting from neurological conditions. In general, most other health and social care professionals’ training in communication tends to vary from formal to informal, according to their area of work. Therefore, there is great interest and motivation in receiving more training and utilising different methods to communicate with their patients. They felt that better communication does lead to better care.

Helpful ways of communicating

Older people who took part in our focus groups wanted to see an improvement in professionals’ ability to use verbal and non verbal communication with patients. They also emphasised the importance of being treated as an individual and not just a ‘case’ and have sufficient time to discuss their treatment and share information with doctors, consultants and other professionals they meet. More education and support for carers is also of fundamental importance. Finally, they told us about some helpful ways of communicating with older people with a neurological condition.

The next stage of the project will be to design the training and then delivering it, probably starting from October 2009. Look out for more project updates in May of this year.




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