Communication is the process of transferring or receiving information between two or more individuals. It is a two way process for individuals to understand and interact with each other.
Effective communication and interpersonal interaction in health and social care is very important. It is more than just talking; it allows people to voice and express what they want, their issues, needs, demands and expectations. Furthermore it is essential for the welfare of individuals you are caring for. Factors of effective communication include: formal communication (work place), informal communication (friends& family), hand gestures, facial expression e.g. smiling, stance (whether you are sitting or standing), proximity (distance-close or far), positioning and appearance.
Effective communication is important in health and social care settings because it will build a good relationship between the service users and care workers. This will enable care workers themselves to gain their trust from the service users which will keep a good relationship between the service user and care worker. So the first impressions of a care worker should be polite, welcoming and kind for them to value care workers. Communication should be open and sensitive, for example a patient should have the confidence to tell their doctor any factors that may be affecting their health (such as work pressure). Similarly, students in schools should be able to communicate with their teacher if there are issues affecting their studies.
Another example of why effective communication in health and social care is vital is when considering old peoples homes. Old people are there because they may not have any family members, friends or their families cannot take care of them. Hence, it is very important that health care professionals working in an old person’s home communicate well with them and meet their