>www.dpw.state.pa.us >www.dhs.pa.gov
ODP, Special Populations Unit
• Lea Sheffield
– Special Populations Unit Manager
• Lori Milcic
– Deaf Services Coordinator
• Krista Lewis
– Deaf and Nontraditional Communication Professional
>www.dpw.state.pa.us >www.dhs.pa.gov
Virtual Targeted Training:
When a Nonverbal Communicator gets Hospitalized
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This training will review strategies
to support individuals who don’t verbally
communicate
before, during, and after a hospital stay
Objective
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Imagine…
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Scared
Anxious
Lonely
Frustrated
Hopeless
Out of control
Vulnerable
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• Important to:
– Share symptoms with medical staff
– Comply with medical treatment
– Understand what is happening
– Express and cope with how they are feeling
– Feel safe
– Understand and follow discharge instructions
Effective Communication
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Patients who have access to effective communication
• Receive less sedation
• Transition more quickly to lower levels of care
• Have increased patient satisfaction
• Feel more in control and generally do better
Happ et al., 2004; Patak et al., 2008
>www.dpw.state.pa.us >www.dhs.pa.gov6/2/2020 9
Patients spend two to three days less in ICU when they
can express themselves more effectively.
Patients become less frustrated, which lowers blood
pressure and stabilizes respiration.
Their comfort level also increases since they can
communicate if they are not positioned correctly in their
hospital beds, for example.
Lindgren & Ames (2005),
Henneman, Dracup, Ganz, Molayeme & Cooper (2001) & (2002)
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Medical Professionals:
• Limited bedside time available
• Stress/Frustration
• Other patients
Challenges
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• Hospital culture and attitudes
• Their own experiences, possible misconceptions
• Communication resources
Challenges
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So… What can we do?
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• Have a communication kit prepared
– Communication Profile
– Care Needs Form
– Medication List and History
– Communication Support Board
– Picture Board
– Hospital Room Signs
– Devices
– Chargers, if applicable
– Familiar item for comfort
Be Prepared!
>www.dpw.state.pa.us >www.dhs.pa.gov
Communication Profile
A quick, person-centered tool
used to help those that may not
know the individual well enough
to communicate effectively with
them.
Care Needs Form
Quick snap shot made to be
provided to medical professionals
in case of emergency.
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Communication Profile & Care Needs Form
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Picture Boards
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• A simple sign displayed to remind each medical
professional who comes in
• Example:
Signs for in Hospital Rooms
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• Allow the individual to have "comforts" (e.g., a favorite
item)
• Hang up your sign in an obvious place people will see
immediately and share a couple copies of it as well
• Ensure access to their communication device, if
applicable, as well as chargers
• Communication board
• An interpreter, if applicable
While at the Hospital
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• Urge medical staff to:
– Speak to the individual and not just their
supporters
• Use the person’s name to address them
• Explain how the person communicates (not
“nonverbal”)
– Facilitate communication by asking the
person close-ended questions rather than
open-ended questions
• Such as “Does your stomach hurt?”, rather
than “What do you feel?”
– Ask one question at a time and to be
patient, and wait for a response
While at the Hospital
You know the
person best!
Advocate and
educate!
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• Urge medical staff to:
– Use the communication board too
– Remind them that their communication needs to be
accessible, within reaching distance at all times!
– Be aware of the persons
positioning in bed
– Supportive seating, if needed
– Ask or indicate before they touch the
person
While at the Hospital
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• If you have concerns – Who to ask for help?
– Charge Nurse
– Patient Relations or Civil Rights Coordinator
• Rights
– Titles II and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
– Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
– Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA)
While at the Hospital
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• What did you learn?
• What worked to support communication?
• What didn’t work?
• How can you better prepare for if it happens again?
After a Hospital Stay
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• Attachments
• https://communicationfirst.org/covid-19/
– Communication Rights Toolkit
• https://www.myodp.org/mod/page/view.php?id=26883
– Listed as “Tool Kit for Communication and COVID-19 Handouts
for Providers”
Resources
>www.dpw.state.pa.us >www.dhs.pa.gov
Contact Us!
• Lea Sheffield
– Special Populations Unit Manager
• Lori Milcic
– Deaf Services Coordinator
• Krista Lewis
– Deaf and Nontraditional Communication Professional
or