Communication and Observation Techniques

Communication Types

• Verbal Communication: Involves spoken or written words.
• Nonverbal Communication: Involves body language, facial expressions, and posture without the use of words.
• Body Language: Includes gestures and facial expressions used to convey messages.
• Clichés: Overused phrases that lack meaningful communication.

Observation and Information

• Observation of Smell: Includes detecting odors from a resident's body or breath.
• Observation of Sight: Involves noting changes in a resident's appearance.
• Observation of Hearing: Focuses on a resident's tone of voice and breath sounds.
• Observation of Touch: Encompasses sensing the resident's skin condition and pulse.
• Objective Information: Based on measurable observations (sight, hearing, touch, smell).
• Subjective Information: Based on personal opinions or reports not observed directly.

Medical Terminology

• Root: The fundamental part of a word, conveying its basic meaning.
• Prefix: A word part added to the beginning of a root.
• Suffix: A word part added to the end of a root.
• Medical Terms: Often not understood by residents or their families.

Communication and Interaction

• Open-Ended Questions: Designed to elicit more detailed responses than a simple yes or no.
• Avoiding Defensive Responses: Asking "why" can make residents feel defensive.
• Appropriate Language: Avoid slang and profanity when communicating.

Safety and Emergency Procedures

• Choking Prevention: Residents should eat in an upright position to avoid choking hazards.
• Lifting Techniques: Hold objects close to the body for safer lifting.
• Fire Safety: PASS and RACE are acronyms representing critical fire safety protocols.
  • PASS: Pull the pin, Aim at the base, Squeeze the handle, Sweep back and forth.
  • RACE: Remove residents, Activate alarm, Contain the fire, Extinguish if safe.
• Stop, Drop, Roll: Technique used to extinguish clothing fires.

Health and Infection Control

• Hand Hygiene: Defined as washing hands with soap and water or using alcohol-based rubs.
• Standard Precautions: Must be practiced on every individual under care, treating all body fluids as potentially infectious.
• Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs): Infections acquired in healthcare settings.

First Aid and Medical Emergencies

• Burn Treatment: Use cool, clean water for minor burns.
• CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation): Emergency procedure to restore breathing and circulation.
• Abdominal Thrusts: A method to remove an obstructed airway in choking victims.
• Shock: Condition where organs and tissues do not receive adequate blood supply.

Disease and Infection Links

• Chain of Infection: Consists of causative agent, reservoir, portal of exit, mode of transmission, portal of entry, and susceptible host.
• Localized vs. Systemic Infection: Localized infections affect a specific area; systemic infections impact the entire body.
• Tuberculosis: An airborne disease that can spread easily.

Safety Equipment and Disposal

• Sharps Disposal: Needles and other sharp objects should be placed in biohazard containers.
• Frictions in Hand Washing: Should take at least 20 seconds.
• Handling Dirty Linen: Roll or fold so the dirty area is on the inside, and carry away from the body.

Additional Medical Context

• Incontinence: Inability to control bladder or bowel functions.
• Insulin Reactions: Occurs when insulin is given without proper food intake; requires rapid absorption food.
• Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA): A temporary lack of oxygen supply to the brain often considered a warning sign.
• MRSA: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is a serious infection resistant to many antibiotics.