I work as a personal support worker for a firm called Comfort Keepers (PSW). Giving personal care and assisting with some light housework were among my duties. I am working as a PSW for the first time. An Egyptian man who is in the terminal stages of cancer is my client. He is totally bedridden and receiving CPAP therapy. The first several days were difficult for me. Although my client speaks English, Arabic is his preferred language. I find it difficult to understand him because of his accent, which is extremely different from mine. He was unable to explain his needs clearly because of his advanced age and I was unable to meet up to his expectations. Moreover, I had trouble understanding what my client was saying since construction work was ongoing in their building and he is using a CPAP machine. One day he asked me to give him a bed bath and I thought he wants to change the diaper. When I am done with my work and about to leave, his wife called me and started to raise her voice for not giving him a bed bath. They were extremely offended by this. Next day, I got a call from my agency based on their complaint which made me really upset. I thought I could have lost my job. 

Barriers

The three communication barriers are as follows:

2. Language use: rambling, disorganized way of using language made difficult for me to understand. His language was challenging for me to comprehend because of his unfamiliar accent.
4. Demographic differences: He wasunable to communicate clearly because of hisadvanced age. I misheard him when he requested me to give him a bath in bed, so I just washed his lower body.
6. Physical barrier: The construction noise made it hard to hear properly. Additionally, he was wearing a CPAP machine, which made it more difficult to hear him speak.

reflection Paper (expanding on proposal)

The scenario and barriers that you have outlined should provide you with a good foundation for applying concepts, ideas and techniques from class lectures, the textbook and supplemental materials. Expand on the barriers identified in Part 1 of the assignment by suggesting the communication skills and/or techniques that could have been used to achieve a more satisfactory outcome. Conclude by informing the reader of how you would approach a similar situation in future, based on what you have learned in the course to date.

Consider the following questions:

2. Does knowing more about your own communication style impact how you may have handled this interaction?
4. What verbal or non-verbal techniques could have been used to demonstrate respect, clarify the message, and/or improve the overall interaction?
6. What could have been said to demonstrate more empathy or understanding by either the sender or the receiver?
8. (500 words must be there for the reflection paper without repeating the same sentence.)

Non-Verbal Communication What is non-verbal communication? o Gestures o Facial expressions o Tone of voice o Eye contact o Body language o Posture, and other ways people can communicate without using language. Why is it important to understand and use non-verbal communication? o Helps with building relationships o Shows if you care and are being truthful o Shows how well you're listening Introducing Verbal Communication Skills

Answer rating: 100% (QA)

The communication scenario I encountered as a personal support worker at Comfort Keepers presented several challenges that highlighted the significance of effective communication in my role Three majo... View the full answer