Communication and Interpersonal Skills
What this domain covers
Communication is a care skill. Use therapeutic techniques: active listening, open-ended questions, restating, clarifying, reflecting feelings, appropriate silence, and honest, simple language. Sit at eye level, face the client, keep your tone calm, and use touch appropriately and only when welcomed.
Adapt to barriers. With hearing loss, face the client, speak clearly at a lower pitch, reduce background noise, and check that hearing aids are in and working - do not shout. With vision loss, identify yourself and describe what you are about to do. With aphasia, allow time, use yes/no questions and gestures, and never pretend to understand. Use a qualified interpreter when needed, and speak to the client, not the interpreter.
Avoid barriers: medical jargon, 'why' questions that sound accusatory, false reassurance ('don't worry, you'll be fine'), arguing, changing the subject, giving advice, and elderspeak (baby talk).
Families and culture shape communication; ask about preferences and respect them. Keep professional boundaries - you are friendly, not a friend. Do not share your personal problems or accept money or gifts, and report concerns rather than handling them alone.
Traps
Arguing with a client's belief, promising outcomes, discussing a client in a public area, and assuming a nodding client understood.
Rule of thumb
Listen more than you talk, ask open questions, and reflect back what you heard before you act.