What it is: Talking with members of the care team taking care of an older person. The team caring for a person with palliative care needs may include people with different skills including nurses, carers, GPs, allied health, and spiritual care practitioners.
Why it matters: Good communication (talking) between careworkers and other staff helps the quality of palliative care provided to clients or residents. It means everyone involved in the care of a person knows what to do and why. It also helps people to feel confident that staff know and understand what to do, and that they are providing appropriate care.
What I need to know: Written records are a common way for teams to communicate. Case conferences are another way to communicate. Often the Registered Nurse (RN)/supervisor will pass information between team members, management, the older person and their family.
Effective communication is:
- open, honest, accurate
- respectful and sensitive
- may be formal (team meetings) or informal (casual meetings in the work area or staff room).
Effective communication:
- supports understanding between the sender and receiver of information
- is part of good teamwork.
Technology including electronic care records, email communication, telehealth meetings, and social media are changing the way people communicate. These new technologies need to be used carefully and in line with policies at your organisation.