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Chapter 5 Findings
Staff participants acknowledged the importance of talking to residents but
struggled to find the time to do so:
“I think that we need more staff to communicate with the patients
because I know the lady in that corner she is always lonely in that
corner and she called me this morning to talk to her and I do not have
time to talk to her and she needs someone to sit with her and talk to
her but we never have the time to do so.”
(S05)
Staff participants described the difficulties they had communicating with
residents who cannot speak, but one nurse participant reflected on her experience
that morning when a resident was looking at her nursing pins on her uniform and
she recognised the power of non-verbal communication:
“It’s like as if there was communication there without there being
communication, and I said ‘you’ve had medals like this haven’t
you?’ and you could see in him, and then just gone again. I suppose
it’s me getting to understand and trying to communicate with him
or understand how to communicate with him, maybe some of the
others are better at it.”
(S11)
However, challenges still remained:
“It can be very difficult especially take x, for example, it can be
very difficult and very frustrating for her and for us. Her only way
of communicating is by this awful screeching and you really don’t
know whether she is happy or not that’s the only reason and it is
very difficult. I think it is hit or miss a lot of the time.”
(S11)
Observations revealed that staff do try to communicate non-verbally:
“A nurse is observed communicating with a resident even though
she cannot speak. The nurse waits for her to nod her head.”
(Obs – Day 2: 07.30-09.30hrs)
Sometimes though, staff just don’t know what to do or don’t understand
the health state of the resident:
“A nurse attends to a resident who cannot speak. She asks her if she
would like a wash and she nods in agreement. However, as she
starts to wash her she starts to cry quietly. A HCA comes to join her