How many times in your life, either private or professional, do you look back and wish you had communicated better or differently? I think we all can agree that many times this would be true.

If it were not important to communicate, nations would not establish diplomatic relations with each other. Relationship experts would not tell you to take the time to talk to your spouse and children. The same is true for the long term care business. So much can be accomplished such as educating someone, establishing reasonable expectations or simply giving someone the chance to be heard.

Beginning with today’s blog, and continuing with the next two, I will break down communication into three phases and provide ways that Functional Pathways can assist with those. The three phases: The Initial Phase, The Resident Phase and The Discharge Phase.

PHASE 1 INITIAL

Everyone knows that good communication can go a long way in helping establish a beneficial relationship between a facility, the resident and the residents’ family. This interaction needs to be EARLY and OFTEN. By early I mean as early as the initial tour of the facility. Being able to see the building, meeting the staff and learning about programming are all important parts of the tour but letting them know how and when you will communicate with them is crucial.

You want to make sure that all questions are being addressed and that a line of clear and open dialogue is being established. This sets the tone for mutual trust,  which is the foundation of any good relationship.

I feel that a key ingredient in this is having the same person communicating throughout all three phases. It is no secret that having the same therapist working with the patient the entire time simply makes for a better experience for everyone. The same should be true for the person that communicates with the family. This makes establishing a relationship so much easier. If there is to be someone else in the communication chain then it is up to the initial person to explain the change and introduce them to the family. This makes the transition much smoother.

Next I will explore an exciting new way that Functional Pathways has come up with to communicate the resident’s progress during care. It will help your facility stay on the “Right Track”.