It’s important for elderly residents and their support workers to build a rapport. After all, one of the most important elements of this role is providing care and companionship to someone who might now find it difficult to socialise in typical situations. As such, providing a peacefully engaging atmosphere for your client is imperative to offering a quality service!
But we understand that support workers may occasionally require a little extra advice to break the mould with their new client.
With this in mind, here are three pieces of advice for what you can do to ensure you build the rapport that will make the service enjoyable for you and your new client:
- Work on creating a connection
When it comes to the best aged care services Wollongong has, it is imperative to develop a connection with the client. Clients will trust their support workers more when they feel a strong connection with them. Therefore, it’s important that support workers strive to spend quality time with their clients and their client’s families, as opposed to just entering the room when physical assistance is required.
It’s important to show your clients why you got into the role in the first place: to not only provide care for them but also to offer companionship that they might be lacking in their senior years. By simply showing them that you’re interested in their lives and what they have to say you can build a strong connection that will make the day more enjoyable for you and your client!
- Work with your client
Clients – especially those receiving care in their own homes – often don’t like to be told what to do around them. Instead, it’s important that you work with your client and let them know that you’re not there to dictate their lives to them, but simply to offer professional assistance where they find it necessary. It’s important to work with your client as they can give you far more insight into where they need assistance and this will create a better connection between you and them.
It’s important to be friendly and patient and seek to understand why they require the service. Get to know them: ask about their lives, their work and their families. This will help them realise that you are truly interested about their lives and their needs going forward!
- Show empathy
It can be impossible to build a connection with your client if you don’t understand their needs, goals and desires regarding this service. After all, there has to be a solid understanding of how you must assist them with physical and social undertakings. Therefore, it’s important that you take the time to listen and empathise with their situation.
They will feel a lot more at ease knowing that you have taken the time to understand their situation and what you can do to make it more pleasant for them. So, you might even like to ask them to write down their thoughts and goals when it comes to this service, as this will help you understand their situation far more which, in turn, will help you empathise with their situation.
Building a connection between you and your client takes time. But it can be achieved much quicker through showing them that you have an interest in their health and situation and that you are there to work with them. There to make their home life much more enjoyable!
