Defining Culture: The Way We Talk to Each Other
We emphasize the need for our communities to maintain a positive and motivating culture. Without our culture, we are just a place that cares for bodies rather than caring for people. An important part of our culture is the way we talk to one another throughout our communities. We encourage our staff to be clear and respectful as well as practice active listening.
Clear Communication, Clear Heart
We’ve all been there. We try desperately to tell a loved one or a coworker what we need only to not get it. Often, we blame others for not understanding. But it could also be an issue with how we communicate with one another and a lack of clarity in how we approached the conversation. We want all our staff to understand that when miscommunications happen, it’s time to understand how we can communicate more clearly rather than blame the ears and brains of others.
Ensuring our communication is clear allows us to better serve our community. When staff members need specific medications or specific help, miscommunications can cause delays, mistakes in administration, and put our residents at risk. But a staff that maintains clear communication practices keeps these risks from affecting our residents and makes for a better work environment. Clear communication can also help solve any issues between departments and allows our staff to work together in a supportive environment.
Another important part of communication in our community is to be productive. In this case, productive communication means it is complete and concise. Our staff knows how to ask for what they need and how to keep unimportant information out. Caring for our patients means making sure that our communication prioritizes their needs. We have to be clear, concise, and complete when we make requests that effect the health of our residents.
All I’m Asking is for a Little Respect
Our culture is built on mutual respect and our communication is key to showing this respect. Our staff speaks to one another with respect, understanding that each one of them has a job that is paramount to bringing the best care to our residents. If we lost any one of our departments, all of us would suffer for it. Our staff knows that we all deserve respect in the workplace and model that behavior accordingly.
We also hire staff members who understand the importance of speaking to our residents with respect. In communities that don’t prioritize respect, we have seen people talk to seniors as though they are children. We don’t accept that kind of communication in our community. Our staff is always talking with our residents as equals. Because our residents are adults who know a lot about what they need and how they are feeling. Our staff treats each resident with the same respect that they would treat one another and expect from anyone else.
Listen Before You Speak
It’s easy to think that communication is only about what we say. But just as important as speaking clearly and respectfully is to listen to what others are communicating. Active listening is a key skill that our staff focuses on every day to ensure the highest levels of care.
Active listening includes things like asking questions to clarify what has been said – because even when someone is trying to be clear, sometimes we could use a little more information. It also includes noticing the non-verbal cues of others. This is especially important when deescalating disagreements and gauging the mood of our residents. Doing this allows us to better care for the emotional health of our residents and our staff.
Communication is a key part of our culture and helps us maintain a positive and supportive environment for our residents. Home should always be a place where we can feel heard and understood. Home should be a place where we can hear and understand those that we care about. Our cultural emphasis on communication makes our environment feel more like home. The more comfortable our residents and staff fell in our community, the better our care becomes.