Choosing a caregiving career requires many things, but learning how to connect and build a relationship with your patients is the most important. Caregivers are responsible for some of the most essential parts of a patient’s day. Without a strong relationship, taking care of patients and completing everyday tasks can become more difficult. Here, Liberty Resources Home Choices talks about how you can develop a stronger connection with your patients.
The Importance of Building Trust
As a caregiver, you are responsible for taking care of everything a patient needs. This can include personal care services such as bathing, eating, or everyday tasks. Since you play a large role in some of the most intimate parts of a patient’s day, you must build an honest, open, and trusting relationship. Doing so can allow patients to feel confident in telling you how they feel or what they think, meaning you can better tailor your care to meet their needs.
Creating honesty and trust in your relationship is also essential to maintaining patient comfort and can lead to a better quality of life for your patient. It can also keep patients cognitively sharp. This is because as a caregiver, not only do you take care of them, but you can also challenge them, help them with their favorite activities, and assist them in maintaining their normal lifestyle.
Ways to Create a Meaningful Bond
There are several ways for caregivers to create a positive working relationship with their patients, including:
Actively Listening
Learning to live with and accept help from a caregiver can be difficult for patients, especially those with certain intellectual and developmental disabilities like Alzheimer’s or dementia. They may become confused, upset, and frustrated at times. In addition, patients may be unable to clearly talk about what’s wrong. Listening to their concerns and addressing them to the best of your ability can help to build a stronger relationship. To accomplish this, you should learn to actively listen, refrain from interruptions, and be sure to ask clarifying questions to show your engagement. Doing so will not only allow you to understand them better, but it can also help patients work through the challenges that come with growing older.
Effective Communication
Along with listening, communication is essential for building a positive relationship. You provide your patients with the best possible care by ensuring they are comfortable and have everything they need to thrive. For that to go smoothly, you must communicate effectively. Sometimes, it can be difficult for patients to express what they need, especially when it comes to relying on another person. Communication allows patients to feel comfortable asking for help. You both are spending time together, so it’s important to have good communication skills. This allows you to strengthen your bond with the patient. For effective communication, it can be beneficial to ask questions to further understand your patient.
Share Personal Experiences
Because you are spending a significant amount of your time with one another, you should take this time to make good conversation with your patient. Something that may come up is personal experiences and stories. Sharing your personal experiences can allow you both to understand one another better. You can also gain insight as to what kind of a person your patient is and what is most important to them. Even something as simple as remembering your patient’s birthday and doing something special for them can help build a healthy, long-lasting relationship. Find out what they like to do for fun and implement that into a fun activity.
Display Compassion
As their caregiver, you need to know and understand what your patient needs, even if they don’t voice it. Actively listening, acknowledging, and paying attention to your patient can make it easier to decide what they need and when they need it. Showing compassion can help create an easier routine by providing lifestyle support and creating a more comfortable environment. In addition, caregivers must make themselves emotionally open and able to tend to their patient’s issues, whether they are physical, mental, or emotional. By displaying compassion, you will not only effectively care for your patient, but you may be able to detect what they need before they even have the chance to ask.
Develop Connections as a Caregiver
Whether you’re looking to formalize caring for a loved one or are interested in developing your career as a caregiver, consider applying for a position with Liberty Resources Home Choices. Located in the Philadelphia metro area, we’re dedicated to providing compassionate, friendly care to our patients, as well as solutions and services to families to help improve the quality of life for their loved ones. Contact us today to learn more about becoming a caregiver and how you can build meaningful relationships with patients.
