Every caregiver-client relationship is unique, and a strong relationship can either be difficult or easy to achieve.
A strong relationship is built on trust, commitment, and compassion which can be established on the first encounter or in the process of care giving.
As a caregiver, you are responsible for the client’s and their family’
s peace of mind through your actions and the reputation you build with them as you provide care.
Those able to develop strong relationships with their clients easily provide caring and compassionate support to their clients. Our focus on this article is to establish how caregivers can build strong relationships with clients.
How to Build A Strong Relationship with Clients
Building a Strong Relationship with Clients for Caregivers
Establishing Trust
Work Towards Consummate Professionalism
To earn a client’s trust, you need to be competent and knowledgeable in the field of care giving. Ensure that your certifications and academic qualifications reflect in your skills as a caregiver. Also update your skills on any developments by attending industry training and workshops.
Excellent Communicator
Achieving excellence in communication focuses on being an active listener, clearly conveying information, and asking good (not probing) questions. Keeping the client’s family updated and involved gives them a sense of trust.
Honesty
Practice and live by “honesty is the best policy” with your clients and their families. Avoid cover-ups over any occurrences by sharing truthful information or updates to avoid frustrating their expectations.
Building a Strong Relationship with Clients for Caregivers
Maintain Confidentiality
Never share information about your client or their condition to anyone unless they have authorized it or when it is needed for a medical follow up. Your client should feel safe sharing information with you as you also play the role of a confidant.
Respect
There are times when you will have a difference in opinion or approach with your client or their family members, but it is your duty to accord them the respect they deserve. It is important to remain calm during a disagreement, and when making a decision, rationalize and keep an open mind as long care integrity is maintained.
Showing Commitment
Dependable
By being available and showing up in good time, a client can confidently trust your commitment to caring for them when called upon. Flexibility also makes you dependable and in cases where you are unavailable, request to re-schedule for the soonest time possible while giving directives on what should be done before you arrive.
Understand Your Client’s Needs and Condition
Take time to know your client, their needs, and their condition. Research on the client’s condition and find new, innovative ways to improve how you give care. You can also talk to other caregivers or a healthcare practitioner so as to improve your care giving approaches.
Take an Interest in Your Client’s Fun Activities and Hobbies
Engage in your client’s interests and encourage them to develop their hobbies. Get them excited about an activity schedule with their fun activities, this could be an effective way to refocus them from any negative thoughts as they adjust to receiving care. A simple search on the Internet will give you brilliant ideas on how to add a twist to these activities to avoid monotony.
Building a Strong Relationship with Clients for Caregivers
Be Patient
Strong relationships are built on patience especially since the client is trying to take in different changes in their life. A patient caregiver understands that everything takes time and they will not rush or impose anything on a client.
Being Compassionate
Show Genuine Empathy
To build a strong relationship with your client, demonstrate empathy while maintaining confidence. Empathy makes a client feel they are being listened to and being compassionately cared for by the caregiver.
Be Sociable but Do Not Cross Boundaries
As a caregiver, your companionship to your client is very important and that also entails your ability to be sociable to them, their visitors, and family members. However, your sociability should not cross personal boundaries and make you appear intrusive or too inquisitive on issues that are unrelated to your role.
Support and Encourage
Learn to support that which improves your client’s condition or life. Encouraging a client to engage in activities that will help them maintain the highest level of independence. Learn to compliment them when they achieve a goal they had set to achieve.
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