The guide urges caregivers and health-care workers to listen carefully and to understand what is really being said. A patient complaining of soreness or discomfort may be in real pain, while reference to an stomach upset may indicate nausea. Then it's up to the health-care provider to find out what can be done, talk to the patient and his or her family, establish which drugs to use and at what dosage. Whenever possible, the guide says, limit the number of medications, avoid duplication and keep dosages simple. Because many seniors fear addiction or overdose, health-care providers must also address these concerns with the patient and family.
Care also needs to be geared to cultural backgrounds, says the guide.
For instance, health-care providers need to realize that people with different backgrounds and beliefs have their own takes on the appropriateness of physical touching in treatment. In some cultures, men and women do not touch, so it may be inappropriate for a female health-care provider to offer her hand to a male. Click Here to make suggestions, comments about C-Health.