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Training Plan: Communicating with the Elderly

Maggie McGee

Michelle Knepp

Trishna Naraine

Completed in partial fulfillment of the requirements for

HA 3341: Training and Professional Development in Healthcare

Texas State University

April 28, 2016

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Table of Contents

Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................3

Needs Assessment ..............................................................................................................................4

Description of Process .....................................................................................................................4

Mission Statement Application ....................................................................................................4

Identifying the Problem ...............................................................................................................5

Gap Analysis ...............................................................................................................................5

Method Selection ........................................................................................................................6

Summary of Findings .......................................................................................................................7

Interview ....................................................................................................................................7

Questionnaire .............................................................................................................................9

Preliminary Conclusions ................................................................................................................10

Recommendations ........................................................................................................................11

Suggestions...............................................................................................................................11

Training ....................................................................................................................................12

Potential Barriers ..........................................................................................................................12

Literature Review .............................................................................................................................13

Definition of the Problem ..............................................................................................................13

Effectiveness of Communicating with the Elderly ............................................................................14

Effectiveness of Maintaining Eye Contact .......................................................................................14

Effectiveness of Visual Aids ............................................................................................................15

Task Analysis ....................................................................................................................................16

Current versus Ideal State..............................................................................................................16

Steps to Ideal Performance............................................................................................................17

Conclusion and Recommendations ....................................................................................................19

References .......................................................................................................................................20

Appendices ......................................................................................................................................21

Training Plan Outline .....................................................................................................................21

Script ...........................................................................................................................................22

Flyer .............................................................................................................................................24

Handouts......................................................................................................................................25

Post-Training Evaluation ................................................................................................................28

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Executive Summary

Humans interact with one another through communication, whether it is verbal or

nonverbal. The exchange of information is only a success if understood by the receiver (Dunn,

2010). When a message is misunderstood, there may be complications that occur (Dunn, 2010).

It is important individuals consider whom they are communicating with so they relay the

message in a way the reader understands. Assisted living aides may need to consider age,

medical conditions, mental status, and other physical states when communicating with elderly

residents.

Aides in assisted living facilities should have proper training on communicating with the

elderly because it is essential to every relationship regarding patient care, especially in an

assisted living facility. Due to the decline of physical and cognitive health that often occurs later

in life, aides should recognize the specialized communication skills needed. Many elders grew

up in a different social-economic and political environment from the current era. These elders

received little formal education and grew up when the economy was not as strong as it is

currently. There are differences between their era and the current era, such as, differences in

traditions, values, and experiences. These differences demonstrate that it is important to maintain

a connection with the residents to aid in their daily activities and improve their quality of life

(Effective Communication With The Elderly, 2000). It is crucial that healthcare managers

understand the importance of direction and provide training to their staff on communication with

residents

Legacy Oaks Assisted Living and Memory Care in Austin, Texas granted the group

permission to conduct evaluations for our needs assessment on their staff’s communication

methods with elderly residents. After performing the needs assessment, it was clear that Legacy

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Oaks’ staff focused strongly on their communication with the residents. The executive director of

Legacy Oaks provided the group with the different methods utilized by the staff at his facility.

The group then developed and offered proposals to Legacy Oaks management that may assist

them in bettering their communication procedures.

Creating training programs to enhance effective relations are significant, especially when

it comes to communicating with the elderly. All forms of communication have the potential for

barriers. It is important to practice the effectiveness of communicating with the elderly,

effectiveness of maintaining eye contact, and effectiveness of visual aids. Although there was

room for improvement, the staff at Legacy Oaks works hard in fulfilling their mission statement.

Needs Assessment

Description of Process

Mission Statement Application

Legacy Oaks’ mission statement focuses on producing a caring and nurturing

environment that helps achieve current needs and prepare for future needs of the residents (“Our

Philosophy – Legacy Oaks Assisted Living and Memory Care,” 2015). A mission statement

provides potential residents and their families with an insight of what the organization strives

towards achieving. Legacy Oaks believes every resident deserves treatment of dignity and

respect (Legacy Oaks, 2015). This helps the employees of the organization incorporate meaning

into their work.

Communicating with the elderly is a key factor when working as an aide in an assisted

living facility because the aides work directly with the elderly residents throughout each shift to

provide quality health care. Conducting this assessment on how the aides communicate with the

residents will inform management on what should be the target focus in training and what will

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inform the aides of their strengths and weaknesses. When communication is inconsistent, the

residents can feel worried, incapable, and vulnerable (Cirillo, 2015). By improving the aides’

communication skills with the residents, the quality of care in the facility will improve and the

residents will be more comfortable where they live. The spectrum of this needs assessment

concerns all aides that work in assisted living and elderly residential facilities.

Identifying the Problem

Recognizing any issues in communication between aides and the elderly residents is

important to make sure an assisted living experience is successful. Without proper

communication between staff and residents at an assisted living facility, residents can feel

uncomfortable where they are and can become easily confused with their activities of daily

living. As a result, improper treatment can occur and make the resident feel like he or she is not

at home. This goes against the mission statement of Legacy Oaks. After identifying the problem,

the group members will start the needs assessment process and will create specific questions to

ask the management and staff at Legacy Oaks. While the aides at Legacy Oaks might feel as if

they are pleased with their communication skills, they could make improvements and utilize new

training on how to communicate in the most effective way with the elderly.

Gap Analysis

Legacy Oaks focuses strongly on the communication between the staff and elderly

residents. Most elderly individuals suffer from sensory loss and memory issues. This often

occurs due to life changes such as retirement or separation from family and friends (Cingi,

Muluk & Yilmaz, 2015,). Evidence shows that decision-making abilities are influenced by age

and that elderly individuals try to avoid making risky decisions (Park, Morrell & Shifren, 2009).

Assisted living facilities deal with elders in all different stages of memory loss and vulnerability.

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Many of these facilities also have Memory Care units for residents that suffer with dementia.

This requires more specialized and hands-on care.

Mental capabilities and memory are also affected by other physical issues as well. Within

the elderly population, various diseases and health related problems are common. Frequent issues

that affect the health of elders include vision impairment, hearing loss, multiple sclerosis (MS),

and numerous types of neurodegenerative diseases (Cingi, Muluk & Yilmaz, 2015). All of these

issues may affect the way one communicates. For example, hearing loss disables an individual’s

ability to receive and process verbal communication. An assisted living aide with a resident who

is experiencing hearing loss has to improvise their method of communication by using more

visual techniques so that the resident will better understand the message. Aides and other staff

who work with these elderly residents must be trained on how to accommodate in order to

achieve successful communication between the resident and themselves.

Method Selection

To begin collecting data on the communication skills of the aides, a questionnaire was

created, which included open-ended and close-ended questions, for the aides and management at

Legacy Oaks. An interview with the executive director, Brandon Erickson, was conducted to

become educated on the policies and procedures regarding communication at Legacy Oaks. This

interview was crucial to this assessment because it revealed how management handles

communication between the staff and the residents. Mr. Erickson provided detailed information

about the different methods of communication the staff utilized in the organization on a daily

basis.

Distributing questionnaires to the staff at Legacy Oaks was a vital component of this

needs assessment because it provided an inside look on how the aides felt about their

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communication with the residents. The aides were able to rate how important communication is

when working with the elderly. These surveys were useful in giving the group a clear idea of

what the aides received as training on communication with the elderly. Although not all aides

were able to respond to the questionnaires, the actual number of responses revealed a helpful

amount of information. By allowing these aides to answer the questionnaires anonymously, they

were more likely to answer truthfully. Having truthful responses is the only way to develop an

effective training plan that will help to improve the aides’ communication with residents.

The group also took advantage of use of internet search engines and books from the local

library to study up on the topic. Reading through numerous scholarly articles and books helped

to understand how communication with the elderly differentiates from that with the younger

generations. Even though this information did not come from Legacy Oaks directly, numerous

comparisons with the information provided by Mr. Erickson and the Legacy Oaks staff were

gained.

Summary of Findings

Interview

The group’s interview with Mr. Erickson showed how particular care for the elderly is

and how to effectively communicate. Mr. Erickson has 17 years experience working in senior

care and describes his residents as the “Greatest Generation” (B. Erickson, personal

communication, February 4, 2016). As the Executive Director at Legacy Oaks, Mr. Erickson is

responsible for educating his staff on effective communication with the residents and making

sure the residents are given proper care. Part of Mr. Erickson’s job duties includes leading by

example regarding any interactions with the residents. By communicating well with the

residents, their autonomy is maintained and there is a constant high-level quality of care.

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Mr. Erickson noticed the staff could improve their face-to-face interactions with the

residents. Some residents have difficulty with verbal communication; therefore, nonverbal

communication is essential when assisting these residents. The aides use whiteboards and iPods

to write down what they are trying to say, so the resident can see it visually to understand. With

residents who have difficulty verbally communicating, Mr. Erickson stresses the use of touch to

emphasize to the residents that the aide is there to care for them. For example, when an aide is

approaching a resident that cannot see them, the aide should gently touch his or her shoulder to

let the resident be aware of the aide’s presence. Another aspect of efficient communication with

the elderly is making sure to be at the same eye level with the resident. For instance, when a

resident is sitting for dinner or is in a wheelchair, the aide should make sure to get down on one

knee when approaching them. This prevents the resident from feeling as if the aide does not care.

Regarding the different kinds of residents at Legacy Oaks, when the aides are assisting

the residents in the Memory Care unit, they do not rely on the resident to tell them what they

need; instead, they try to anticipate what they need. The aides are particularly resident with

Memory Care residents because many of them do not understand why the aid is in their room

and what the aide is doing. The aides will talk to the Memory Care residents at a slower pace and

will explain in detail the tasks they are going to perform. The aides explain to the residents what

they are doing and what will happen every time they come into the room. Memory Care residents

generally suffer from Alzheimer’s Disease and have a short-term memory deficit loss. These

types of residents typically cannot remember the aides’ names; therefore, the aid has to

reintroduce themselves to these residents every time.

The staff is constantly being monitored on how they approach and communicate with the

residents. There are policies in place that restrict the aides when assisting a resident. For

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example, the aide should not walk into a resident’s room unannounced. A resident will come to

Mr. Erickson and let him know if something is not the way it should be. Mr. Erickson is

constantly making sure the residents are comfortable where they are and that Legacy Oaks is a “a

place where family comes first, and compassionate care for each other comes naturally” (B.

Erickson, personal communication, February 4, 2016).

Questionnaire

In this needs assessment, the aides at Legacy Oaks anonymously revealed how effective

they thought they communicated with the elderly. In the survey, the staff at Legacy Oaks

displayed how they thought eye contact and patience were the most important factors when

communicating with the elderly. On average, the staff rated the importance of communication in

their jobs with a 9.25 on a scale of 1 to 10. With in mind, some employees rated the importance

of communication to be a 6 in regard to their jobs. In another question asked to the staff, they

thought on average on a scale of 1 to 10 that they effectively communicated with the elderly at a

rate of 9.375.

Since training on communication is only emphasized within the other training

procedures, the staff explained how they were not directly trained on communication with the

elderly, but they still found the training to be useful in communicating. Some employees

mentioned they received specific training on communicating with the residents in the Memory

Care Unit. They discovered this training to be especially useful in their work.

There are different problems and issues regarding communication the aides endure while

working at Legacy Oaks. Some of the more prominent issues include how it is often hard for the

residents to hear the aides, so they need to remember to speak loudly and clearly with them; and

that the elderly often get confused when talking to the aides so it is important to be resident when

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working with the elderly. Sometimes the residents do not understand what they are being asked

to do. Patience is a key component when waiting for the residents to remember and understand

what they are supposed to do. Using fewer words, being concise, and speaking slowly are what

the aides at Legacy Oaks say help the residents understand.

Preliminary Conclusions

Concluding this needs assessment helped to determine if the aides at Legacy Oaks were

in need of additional training or if they needed to make any changes to their methods of

communicating with the residents.

In the interview, Mr. Erickson explained how important it was to communicate

effectively with the residents. Although the study uncovered that the aides communicate rather

thoroughly, there is always room for improvement. The responses from the staff questionnaire

revealed that the aides received limited training on communication during orientation. They also

do not receive retraining to refresh and improve their communication skills. With the common

health and communication issues in the elderly population, assisted living staff must know when

and how to make accommodations.

The way Mr. Erickson frequently emphasized being direct with and “stepping into the

resident’s reality” perfectly demonstrated how strongly he feels about ensuring the residents are

able to understand as much as they can (B. Erickson, personal communication, February 4,

2016). Elders require more attentive care than younger individuals do. This requires assisted

living aides to use more hands-on and frequent care. Although Mr. Erickson believes that his

aides at Legacy Oaks are highly focused on communication with the residents, he agrees that he

should constantly remind them of the importance of it. For example, some aides rated the

importance of communication in their work with a score of 6 out of a possible 10. If Mr.

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Erickson implements more reminders of the importance of communication to his staff, those

aides that scored communication a 6 may eventually re-rank it as a 10.

Recommendations

Suggestions

The study gathered and analyzed the information above and generated the following

suggestions for the organization:

The communication skills and techniques of the aides at Legacy Oaks can be enhanced

through training. Having a training program available specifically for communication with

residents would be beneficial to any assisted living or elderly residential facilities. Even though

communication is a part of every training procedure, it is only implied and not fully addressed. A

formal training program would provide the staff with an effective way to communicate with the

residents.

The training program will include a day dedicated for the staff to be reintroduced to

effective communication with the residents. The staff will learn tips and skills to improve their

communication. They will learn how to maintain eye contact, communicate clearly, how to be

resident, and how to listen to the needs of the residents. Maintaining eye contact is a powerful

form of nonverbal communication. It helps the resident know they can trust you and it creates a

comfortable atmosphere for the resident to open up. When speaking to a resident, it is important

to communicate clearly. Speaking slower, louder, and with fewer words can help the resident to

understand what the staff is asking. Patience is also essential when communicating with the

residents. Listening to the needs of the residents is significant for the staff to learn. Respectable

communication depends on good listening and understanding what the residents needs.

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Training

To add to the suggestions previously stated, training module will deliver to the targeted

audience, if upper-level management approves it. The training process will begin with a

multiple-choice questionnaire to let the trainer establish what the staff do and do not know. By

doing a questionnaire before, the trainer can have a better idea of how to lead the discussion.

The majority of the training program will be a discussion where the trainer will guide the

staff in an open conversation about communication with the elderly. The discussion allows the

employees to share any ideas and experiences related to the topic and bring forward viewpoints

and opinions (Lawson, 2009). Starting with a discussion would be appropriate because only the

topic of communication with the elderly/residents is being covered, so different outcomes can

result.

The second half of the training program will include role-playing with the aides being

placed in different scenarios that could occur while communicating with the elderly. This will

test the employees’ current skills and motivate them to improve in the areas there are their

weaknesses. This training plan will be conducted annually to help the aides adjust to new

residents’ needs and any changes at Legacy Oaks.

Potential Barriers

All types of communication have the potential for barriers. At Legacy Oaks, language

differences, hearing impairments, and cognitive disabilities are all barriers that can affect the

communication between the staff and residents. Language differences can prevent quality care

when a resident thinks he or she understands the aide when he or she actually does not. Hearing

impairments are a major issue for the aides at Legacy Oaks. Often the aides will have to repeat

themselves many times before the resident will understand what they are saying. This requires

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the aides to have a lot of patience and compassion, so they do not become frustrated with the

resident. Cognitive disabilities are also one of the major barriers the aides may face. There are

often residents that have memory loss and need things to be repeated to them. Being able to

communicate with a resident with cognitive disabilities can be challenging because of his or her

inability to comprehend what is being asked of them. It is helpful for aides to reword what they

are asking, so the resident might have a better understanding. However, the aides can overcome

these barriers with proper training and dedication to help the resident.

Literature Review

Definition of the Problem

The aides at Legacy Oaks Assisted Living and Memory Care do not completely focus on

their communication with the residents. Although communicating effectively with the residents

is crucial in their work, the aides often find themselves distracted. For example, an aide assisting

an elderly individual with getting into his or her wheelchair might put all of the aide’s focus on

securing the resident and not dropping them. This focus may lead to miscommunication between

the aide and the resident because the aide is not verbally instructing and encouraging the

resident. These instances of miscommunication can lead to irreversible outcomes such as injury

or death (Stimmel, 2009).

Aging individuals often face issues that affect both their mental and physical abilities.

This is another reason why aides at assisted living facilities, like Legacy Oa ks, should have

strong focuses on their communication with the residents. Many instances occur where residents

do not understand why the aides are there and what the aides are trying to get them to do. It is

important for the aides to address these issues in a way the residents will understand. The aides

should also care about the well-being of their residents and be passionate about the work they do.

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Studies have revealed that the attitude the caregiver, such as the aide, has towards an elderly

patient affects the way he or she communicates (Caris-Verhallen, De-Gruijter, Kerkstra, &

Bensing, 1999). If an aide is more enthusiastic about assisting and caring for the resident, the

resident will receive better quality of care.

Effectiveness of Communicating with the Elderly

Communication is an important aspect of any person’s life, especially with an aging

global population. Communication and “interacting with other people provides support, comfort,

love, and affection” which is crucial to a happy life (Caris-Verhallen, De-Gruijter, Kerkstra, &

Bensing, 1999). These are all components that a person being cared for expects.

Assisted living sites are designed to serve as communities for older adults wanting to age

in a place where they can receive assistance as needed with activities of daily living and having

positive communication between elderly people and caretakers in an assisted living increases the

elders’ autonomy and maximizes their independence (Hehman, German, & Klein, 2005).

Successful communication in a long-term care setting is critical to the elders’ well-being. When

there is effective communication, elders receive quality care, enhance their sense of self-worth

and dignity, and also encourage visits from family, which make the residents engage in

conversations that are meaningful to both parties. Effective communication leads to productive

care-giving because the aides can perform their tasks in an efficient manner (Hehman, German,

& Klein, 2005).

Effectiveness of Maintaining Eye Contact

Maintaining eye contact is a powerful form of nonverbal communication. It helps the

resident know he or she can trust the aides and it creates a comfortable atmosphere for the

resident to open up. Maintaining proper eye contact forms a sense of interest in communicating

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with the residents. Eye contact at appropriate levels also expresses compassion and

understanding to the individual’s desires and wishes (Caris-Verhallen, De-Gruijter, Kerkstra, &

Bensing, 1999). Using this form of nonverbal communication helps to understand the resident on

a different level, which is not accomplished with verbal communication.

The act of looking someone directly in the eye is essential when communicating with a

resident, especially when the situation is important. Eye contact shows the residents the aides are

there to help and assist them with their needs. Also, eye contact shows respect for the individual

as a person and how the resident has undivided attention. A connection is created when

maintaining eye contact is established between individuals. A resident will likely trust and

respect an aide more as eye contact indicates an open dialect of communication. Maintaining eye

contact is an effective way of practicing vital communication skills (Caris-Verhallen, De-

Gruijter, Kerkstra, & Bensing, 1999).

Effectiveness of Visual Aids

Elderly individuals often suffer from physical and mental issues that affect the way they

communicate. Assisted living facilities house many of these types of individuals. First off, it is

important the aides make sure the room is well-lit before communicating with the residents

(Kluge, Glick & Engleman, 2007). This will help give the clearest view possible to the residents

for whom they care. If there are residents who suffer from communication issues in their care,

aides will utilize different methods to help the residents understand. For residents with hearing

impairments, aides may use visual aids such as white boards, pictures, or in Legacy Oaks’ case,

iPods to help the residents get a better understanding of the message. This allows residents to

look at the messages in a written form they can read. If they are unable to read, the aide may

show them a photo or silent video to help them understand.

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Dementia is a common disease that affects the elderly population. Residents who suffer

from dementia or other memory issues often forget people like their aides, family members, or

even themselves. Aides who work with these types of residents may use photographs of people

to assist bringing back the residents’ memory of that person. Those who suffer from dementia

often forget about the more recent times and tend to remember more times from the past. Studies

have shown dementia patients have a greater response to photographs taken of them in their 20s

than photographs taken of them in their 40s (Hehman, German & Klein, 2005). This can be an

effective method in helping bring dementia residents into reality and understanding messages

from the aides.

The use of visual aids is helpful for residents to understand messages even if they can

hear well. Body language and demonstrations can be used as visual aids when trying to explain

something to a resident. For example, when an aide is in the room to help a resident get into the

shower, the aide may point with their finger at the shower when talking. They may also

demonstrate how to step into the shower properly so the resident can see how it is done.

Incorporating these methods and skills when communicating with the residents will

improve communication and quality of care. Even though the current methods of communication

being utilized at Legacy Oaks are effective, incorporating new methods will only better the

residents’ understanding of care.

Task Analysis

Current versus Ideal State

Aides must ensure they are performing well in the communication area of their jobs.

Even though many aides have wonderful communication skills, there is always room for

improvement. It is crucial the residents understand what the aide expects of them.

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Communication is only successful if the receiver understands the message (Dunn, 2010). The

aides at Legacy Oaks agree effective communication with the residents is important; however,

they often fail to make it their primary focus. After administering questionnaires, the group

discovered the aides should receive further training to increase their awareness of the importance

of being effective communicators.

There are many ways to improve the manner in which one communicates. Managers who

have a strong focus on the communication between their staff and residents most likely have an

ideal state they hope their staff will eventually reach. One aspect that may accompany this ideal

state could be ensuring residents understand by asking them if they do. This may also involve the

aide asking other questions as a way to quiz the residents about what they have been told, so the

aide can evaluate whether or not the resident had a correct understanding. Another trait of an

aide who is a superb communicator could be practicing compassionate and ethical care. The

communication between an aide and a resident is most likely to be more effective when the aide

shows compassion towards a resident. This helps the resident to feel comfortable with the care he

or she is receiving.

In order to reach the ideal state of communication that is expected of them, aides must

have the driving mentality to want to be effective communicators. The group has prepared a

training plan to assist these aides in becoming the best communicators possible. Instead of

throwing everything out on the table all at once, the group has broken down the training into a

step-by-step process so the aides will be able to grasp the concept of the training.

Steps to Ideal Performance

Step 1: Before beginning the training session, equipment must be gathered and the room

should be set up in a cluster fashion. Having clusters set up will encourage high participant

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involvement and interaction, as well as promote an open discussion. Clusters are also beneficial

since this is a short training session and the smaller groups will be able to focus easily on the

conversation (Lawson, 2009). Nametags will be placed by the door for the aides to pick up on

their way in.

Step 2: The training session will begin with a five-minute presentation by the trainers for

the aides to become familiar with the two most important areas of communicating with the

residents. Having this brief presentation is a time efficient method because only two major topics

are the focus of this training plan. The goal of this presentation is to introduce what techniques

have been more successful than others when communicating with the residents.

Step 3: To begin the first role-playing activity, two aides will be selected to perform in

one of two spontaneous role-playing activities. Having the audience participate in role-playing is

valuable to the aides’ learning, because people have a better understanding and will retain

information longer when they are actively involved in the learning process. The first role-playing

scenario could demonstrate how to correctly approach a resident in his or her room. This will

show how proper body language and effective eye contact techniques are important when

communicating with the residents, especially when approaching or entering a resident’s room.

Step 4: To finish the training session, two more volunteers will be selected to participate

in a second role-play activity. This activity will demonstrate how the aides should speak to a

resident by using appropriate diction, volume, and tone. This role-play activity will be followed

by any additional questions the audience might have and then closing remarks made by the

trainers.

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Conclusion and Recommendations

Communicating with the elderly is essential in an assisted living facility such as Legacy

Oaks Assisted Living and Memory Care. A literature analysis expressed the importance of

maintaining eye contact and using visual aids to create productive care-giving because the aides

can perform their tasks in a more efficient manner.

Legacy Oaks believes every resident deserves to be treated with dignity and respect

(2015). Utilizing a training program will help explain to the aides how significant effective

communication is when communicating with the residents. Incorporating effective skills when

communicating with the residents will improve the quality of care. The assisted living facility

will need to make the proper adjustments to make sure this training program is being

incorporated. When communicating with the elderly, it is important to maintain a connection, so

you can help improve the resident’s quality of life. When there is effective communication,

elders receive quality care and enhance their sense of self-worth and dignity.

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References Caris-Verhallen, W., Kerkstra, A., & Bensing, J. (1999). Non-verbal behaviour in nurse-elderly

patient communication. Journal Of Advanced Nursing, 29(4), 808-818 11p.

doi:10.1046/j.1365-2648.1999.00965.x

Cingi, C.C., Muluk, N.B., & Yilmaz, O. (2015). Communication disorders in elderly people.

Turkish journal of geriatrics/turk geriatri dergisi 18(2), 162-166.

Cirillo, A. (2015, November 2). Communicating with Elders and Their Family Caregivers-Key

to Safe, Quality Care. Retrieved February 12, 2016, from

http://assistedliving.about.com/od/familycaregivercommunication/a/Communicating-

With-Residents-Patients-And-Families.htm

Dunn, R. (2010). Dunn & Haimann’s healthcare management (9th ed.). Chicago, Ill.: Health

Administration Press.

Effective Communication With The Elderly. (2000). http://app.msf.gov.sg/Publications/

Effective-Communication-With-The-Elderly

Hehman J.A., German T.P., Klein S.B. (2005). Impaired Self–Recognition from Recent

Photographs in a Case of Late–Stage Alzheimer's Disease. Social Cognition: Vol. 23,

Special Issue: Autobiographical Memory: Empirical Applications, pp. 118-124.

Kluge, M. A., Glick, L. K., & Engleman, L. L. (2007). Teaching Nursing and Allied Health Care

Students How to “Communicate Care” to Older Adults. Educational Gerontology, 33(3),

187-207. doi:10.1080/03601270600864082

Lawson, K. (2009). The trainer’s handbook (3rd ed). San Francisco, CA: Pfeiffer

Legacy Oaks. (2015). Retrieved February 12, 2016, from http://legacy-oaks.com/

Our Philosophy – Legacy Oaks Assisted Living and Memory Care. (2015). Retrieved from

http://legacy-oaks.com/about-us/our-philosophy/

Park, D. C., Morrell, R. W., & Shifren, K. (1999). Processing of medical information in aging

patients: Cognitive and human factors perspective. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum

Stimmel, M. (2009). Disruptive Behavior and Miscommunication in Health Care Settings.

Retrieved from http://commons.emich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1241&

context=honors

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Appendices

Training Plan Outline

Topic: Communicating with the Residents Title: Be Effective

Group: 40-45 Staff and Management Training Date: May 2, 2016

Goal: To understand the importance of effective communication with the residents.

Objectives:

1. Learn to communicate effectively with the elderly; residents at assisted living facilities will experience fewer miscommunications and improper care.

2. Aides at assisted living facilities will improve their body language when communicating with the elderly as well as improving their diction, volume, and tone. 3. Aides will improve the quality of care they give to the residents.

Room Arrangement:

The desks will be arranged in cluster form so smaller groups will be able to focus

easily on the conversation.

This arrangement encourages participation by allowing eye contact between the trainer and the learners.

The trainer is able to move closer to each

learner.

Evaluation:

At the end of the training session, the learner should be able to perform effective communication with the residents:

Effective patient care

Effective body language

Maintain eye contact

Importance of speaking clearly

Materials Needed:

Handouts

Flyer

Chairs-45

Cookies

Coffee and Water

Napkins

References:

Caris-Verhallen, W., Kerkstra, A., & Bensing, J. (1999). Non-verbal behaviour in nurse-elderly patient communication. Journal Of Advanced Nursing, 29(4), 808-818 11p. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2648.1999.00965.x

Dunn, R. (2010). Dunn & Haimann’s healthcare management (9th ed.). Chicago, Ill.: Health Administration Press. Jessica A. Hehman, Tim P. German, Stanley B. Klein (2005). Impaired Self–Recognition from Recent Photographs in a Case of Late–

Stage Alzheimer's Disease. Social Cognition: Vol. 23, Special Issue: Autobiographical Memory: Empirical Applications, pp. 118-124.

Kluge, M. A., Glick, L. K., & Engleman, L. L. (2007). Teaching Nursing and Allied Health Care Students How to “Communicate Care” to Older Adults. Educational Gerontology, 33(3), 187-207. doi:10.1080/03601270600864082

Lawson, K. (2009). The trainer’s handbook (3rd ed). San Francisco, CA: Pfeiffer Legacy Oaks. (2015). Retrieved February 12, 2016, from http://legacy-oaks.com/

Stimmel, M. (2009). Disruptive Behavior and Miscommunication in Health Care Settings. Retrieved from http://commons.emich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1241&context=honors

Budget:

Personnel……………………………………….$1000 Refreshments……………………………………$30 Marketing………………………………………..$10 Educational Material….…………………………$10

TOTAL………………………………………….$1050

Source of Income:

Contributions: Legacy Oaks……………………………….……………………$1050 TOTAL………………………………………………………….$1050

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Script

[7:00AM Greeting and Introduction]

Michelle: “Hello everyone! My name is Michelle Knepp.”

Trishna: “Hi, I’m Trishna Naraine.”

Maggie: “Hello, I’m Maggie McGee.”

Michelle: “I would like to thank you all for coming in for today’s training. I believe you will

find it very beneficial. Our topic today is “Communicating with the Elderly”. For the last few

months, Maggie, Trishna and I have been studying your facility and the ways you communicate

with the residents.”

Maggie: “We have been conducting research on the most effective ways to communicate with

the elderly and have also collected some information and insight from all of you as well.”

Trishna: “Today, we hope to make you more aware of the importance of effective

communication between the residents and yourselves. This will hopefully help you to become

better caregivers and communicators.”

Michelle: “This training session should only take about 15 minutes. You should be done in

plenty of time before 8 o’clock shift begins.”

Trishna: “We have provided you with a copy of today’s agenda.”

Maggie: “We will begin this training session with a 5-minute presentation on the most important

methods of communicating with the residents.”

[7:02AM Begin Presentation]

Michelle: “The first area we would like to discuss is the correct way to approach residents when

coming into their room.”

Trishna: “Before entering a resident’s room, you want to knock and wait for the resident to

respond. Once the resident replies, walk into the room in a respectful manner. Go on by explain

to the resident the reason for your visit and what they should expect during the visit.”

Maggie: “Is there anything anyone would like to add or any questions about entering a resident’s

room?”

[respond to any feedback]

Michelle: “Our next topic of focus involves the importance of utilizing proper diction, tone, and

volume when speaking with residents.”

Maggie: “When speaking to a resident, you want to make sure that you speak with an

appropriate tone so the resident feels comfortable. You also want to speak at a loud enough

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volume so the resident can hear, but remember not to shout. Last thing, you want to be sure to

use words in a simple way, so the resident will understand what you are saying.”

Trishna: “Is there anything anyone would like to add or any questions about entering a

resident’s room?”

[respond to any feedback]

[7:07AM Begin role-playing activity]

Maggie: “Now we would like to begin our role-playing part of this training session. I need two

of you in the audience to volunteer to role-play for Scenario 1.”

[two volunteers are selected]

Trishna: “In our first scenario, our volunteers will be demonstrating the correct way to approach

residents when coming into their room.”

[scenario is performed]

Michelle: “This scenario demonstrated the proper body language and effective eye contact

techniques to use when communicating with residents when approaching them.”

Trishna: “Now I need two of you in the audience to volunteer to role-play for Scenario 2.”

[volunteers are selected]

Maggie: “In our second scenario, the volunteers will demonstrate the importance of speaking

clearly so the residents are able to understand.”

[scenario is performed]

Michelle: “The volunteers just demonstrated the appropriate diction, volume, and tone to use

when speaking with the residents.”

[7:13AM Wrap-up of training session and closing remarks]

Trishna: “We would all three like to thank our volunteers and all of you that attended our

training session today. Before we release you, are there any questions you may have about the

training you received today?”

[7:15AM Closing]

Maggie: “Again, we would like to thank you all again for coming. We hope that you found this

training session on communicating with the residents helpful. Enjoy the rest of your day!”

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Flyer

25

Handouts

Let’s Talk!

Session Agenda May 2, 2016

7:00 AM

Type of Meeting: Communication Training Session

Meeting Facilitator: Trishna Naraine, Michelle Knepp, and Maggie McGee

Invitees: Legacy Oaks’ aides

I. (7:00 AM) Greeting and Introduction

II. (7:02 AM) Begin Presentation

Begin discussion on how to approach residents.

III. 7:07 AM First Role-play Activity

This activity will demonstrate the correct way to approach residents in their room.

IV. Second Role-play Activity

This activity will show the proper body language and effective eye contact techniques.

V. 7:13 AM Wrap-up and Closing Remarks

VI. 7:15 AM Adjournment

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Survey Questionnaire for Assisted Living Management

Interviewers: Maggie McGee, Michelle Knepp, Trishna Naraine

Interviewee (Name, Title): Brandon Erickson, Executive Director

Facility (Name, Location): Legacy Oaks, Austin, Texas

1. What formal education have you received beyond high school?

2. Briefly describe the responsibilities of your current position and the major challenges

you face:

3. How long have you managed or supervised others?

4. How many people do you directly supervise or manage?

5. What issues have you noticed regarding communication of your staff with the

residents? How would you achieve improvement?

6. Regarding the different kinds of residents at Legacy Oaks, does your staff

communicate with the residents in the Memory Care Unit differently than the other

residents?

7. How does your staff communicate with residents who have issues with verbal

communication?

8. Are there polices in place regarding communicating with the residents? If so, what are

some examples?

9. As a manager, do you provide training to your employees on how to communicate

effectively with the residents? Are the employees ever retrained?

10. Do you perform any evaluations on the communication of your staff with the

residents?

27

Target Audience Questionnaire for Assisted Living Management

1) Circle three concepts that you feel are the most important when communicating with the

elderly.

Eye contact Body language Volume Clarity

Tone Patience Compassion

Word choice Timing Listening

2) On a scale of 1 to 10, how important do you think communication is in your job?

3) On a scale of 1 to 10, how effectively do you feel you communicate with the residents?

4) Did you receive any training on effective communication? If so, was it useful?

5) What are the most common problems that you experience when communicating with the

elderly and how do you overcome those issues?

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Post-Training Evaluation

1. Did you find this training session on communication with the residents to be beneficial in

your work?

2. On a scale of 1 to 10, how important do you think communication is in your job after

learning more in this training session?

3. In what ways do you plan to utilize what you learned in this training session?

4. Circle three concepts that you feel now are the most important when communicating with

the elderly after receiving this training.

Eye contact Body language Volume Clarity

Tone Patience Compassion

Word choice Timing Listening

5. Do you have any feedback regarding this training session that you would like to share?

29

Time Sheet

Date Maggie McGee

Michelle Knepp

Trishna Naraine

Task Time on

Task Cumulative

time

2-4-16 2 hrs 2 hrs 2 hrs Project 1: Interview

2 hrs 2 hrs

2-4-16 to 2-16-16

3 hrs 3 hrs 3 hrs

Project 1:

Write Paper

9 hrs 11 hrs

2-16-16 2 hrs 2 hrs 2 hrs Project 1:

Review Paper

2 hrs 17 hrs

2-17-16 to 3-7-16

4 hrs 4 hrs 4 hrs

Project 2:

Write Paper

9 hrs 29 hrs

3-7-16 3 hrs 3 hrs 3 hrs Project 2:

Review Paper

3 hrs 38 hrs

3-31-16 2 hrs 2 hrs 2 hrs Project 3:

Flyer 2 hrs 40 hrs

4-4-16 to 4-26-16

2 hrs 2 hrs 2 hrs Project 4:

Put Papers Together

2hrs 42 hrs

4-26-16 1 hrs 1 hrs 1 hrs Project 4: Finalize Paper

1 hrs 43 hrs

Maggie McGee

Michelle Knepp

Trishna Naraine