health

2.  is the process of exchanging information with
others and is a means for two or more people
to connect.
 Communication is an essential part of the job
of a home health care.
 They must be able to communicate with their
supervisor, members of the healthcare team,
the patient, and family members.

3.  The principles (basics) of communication
include the following elements:
 Sender: the person who sends the message
 Receiver: the person who receives the
message
 Feedback: the receiver responds to the
message in some way to let the sender know
they heard and understood the message

4.  Active listening means what it sounds like.
 It means that you are fully concentrating on what
is being said, rather than passively listening or
focusing on your reply.
 You are actively paying attention or listening to
the other person with whom you are speaking.
 Active listening is an important skill for a home
health care to develop.
 It demonstrates to their patients that they care
and are interested in them.
 It also allows them to obtain important
information about their patient’s health care
needs.

5. Allow the person the opportunity to express his/
her ideas completely.
 Concentrate on what they are saying. Do not
interrupt.
 Avoid finishing their sentences, even if you are in
a hurry, if you think you know what they are
going to say, if they have told you the same thing
before, or if they are having trouble
communicating and are taking a long time to
respond.
 If you find it particularly difficult to not interrupt,
practice counting to ten when you feel the urge
to interrupt.

6. Restate the message you heard the other perso
n saying to ensure you heard them correctly.
 This feedback allows the other person to
correct any misunderstandings and
demonstrates you were listening to and heard
them. For instance, you can something like,

7.  Provide feedback while you are listening to encourage
the person to continue and show you are interested.
 Leading statements such as, “Go on,” “Mmm–hmm,”
“Yes,” and “Tell me more,” encourages the person to
continue and demonstrates your interest in what they have
to say.
 Use of body language such as nodding your head helps to
encourage the person to continue.
 Allow for silence.
 Silence can be a powerful tool. Silence allows the person a
chance to fully explore and express their thoughts.
 Often, we try to avoid silence because it makes us
uncomfortable.
 Silence is especially important when discussing sensitive
or difficult topics.

8.  Avoid changing the subject even if the topic makes
you uncomfortable.
 This conveys to the patient that you are not interested in
what they are saying. For example, a patient might
say, “I am really afraid to die,” do not say something
like, “Don‘t think like that. Come on, let‘s do something to
cheer you up.” Instead say something
like, “You are afraid you are going to die. Tell me what‘s o
n your mind.”
 Use your body language to demonstrate your interest in th
e other person.
 Stop other tasks you are doing and put your full attention
on the person in front of you. Stand, or better yet, sit,
facing them. If appropriate for the culture, make eye
contact.

9. Use your body language to demonstrate your i
nterest in the other person.
 Stop other tasks you are doing and put your
full attention on the person in front of you.
Stand, or better yet, sit, facing them.
 If appropriate for the culture, make eye
contact.

10.  Be aware of cultural differences.
 Get to know a patient’s culture and what is
acceptable.
 Learn the words and expressions of a
patient’s culture to fully understand the
message they are trying to convey.
 When in doubt, ask a patient to explain what
a phrase or expression means.

11.  Remember to always keep all information in
the patient’s chart confidential.
 It is illegal to disclose information in the
patient’s chart without their consent.
 Their employer will provide them with specific
training and information about the types of
information they will require them to include
in their site visit report.

12.  Observing, Recording, Reporting
 Recording and reporting information about a patient is an
important part of the job of a Home Health Aide/Personal Care
Aide.
 It is important that they understand the types of information that
should be included in reports.
 Objective information is based on information that a person can
actually see, hear, touch, or smell .
 It includes actions performed, care provided, and measurements
such as how much food or fluid a patient took in or how much
urine the patient voided. These types of information are based
on fact.
 Subjective information is information which a person did not see,
hear, touch, or smell
 It includes statements that a patient has made to a HHA/PCA
about how they feel or what they think (Leahy, Fuzy & Grafe)..

13.  Patients have the right to receive care that is
respectful, compassionate, competent, and
that protects their dignity and privacy.
 Patients have a right to live and be cared for
in a safe environment.
 In addition to keeping a patient’s
environment clean and hazard free, providing
for a safe environment means that patients
are not abused or neglected.

14.  Abuse means causing harm to another
person. There are many forms of abuse.
1. Physical abuse
2. Emotional abuse
3. Financial abuse
4. Sexual abuse

15.  Physical abuse is any harm, whether
unintentional or intentional in which a
patient’s body is harmed.
 This includes slapping, punching, kicking,
biting, cutting, bruising, burning, spitting at,
pushing, shoving,.
 Physical abuse includes forcing a patient to
do something they do not want, such as eat
or bathe.

16.  Emotional abuse is abuse that occurs through
emotionally causing harm to a person.
 This includes name calling, humiliating, threatening,,
insulting, making fun of a person, treating a person
like a child or as if they are unable to think or make
their own decisions.
 Threatening a person in order to make them do
something or to not tell on you for something you did
or for threatening the patient is also
considered emotional abuse.
 Threatening to take away a patient’s belongings, time
spent engaging in pleasurable activities, or to isolate
a patient (such as put them in a locked room alone)
are all considered emotional abuse.

17.  Financial abuse is abuse that occurs with
regard to a patient’s finances.
 This includes stealing money or property,
improperly using a person’s money for things
other than the intended purpose, taking
advantage of a person’s finances, and
threatening to cause physical/emotional harm
if a person does not give a person their
money.

18.  Sexual abuse is abuse that occurs when a
person is touched in a way in which they do
not wish to be touched.
 This includes unwanted touching, and any
unwanted sexual activity.
 Sexual abuse also includes exposing oneself
to a person and showing someone that they
do not wish to see, or taking pictures of a
person without their consent.

19.  Neglect is when a person is harmed by a
caregiver, (whether it is a family member or a
healthcare worker), when then
caregiver fails to provide necessary care.
 This includes failing to clean a patient up
who is soiled, failing to bathe a patient,
failing to provide food or fluids to a patient,
and failing to turn and position a bedridden
patient.

20.  Neglect can be just as harmful as abuse.
Remember, a patient depends on their health
care workers to provide them with the care
they need to live.

21.  New or unexplained bruises
 Marks that look like they were made from belt
straps, buckles, objects, or teeth
 Burns that are unexplained or that are in
unusual shapes or places
 Bruises, bleeding, discharge, pain, or swelling
in the genital area
 Fractures, dislocated bones, new limping or
inability to put weight on a leg or use an arm
 Pressure ulcers and skin tears

22.  Unexplained mood changes, especially during or after
visits from family
 Clothing that does not fit, is torn, dirty, or inappropriate
for the weather
 Unsafe and unclean living conditions
 Weight loss, poor appetite, or if the patient appears to be
hungry and not well fed
 Bedding and incontinence briefs that are always soiled and
appear to have not been changed in a long while
 Rashes, pain, redness in the perineal area (area between
the genitals and anus) from lack of cleaning the patient
after they have voided
 Violence in the home that a HHA/PCA witnesses including
physical or emotional abuse