Communication as a tool for helping seniors in senior care providing institutions to an active life

Communication is one of the most important needs of man whatever his age. A good communication is the basis of relation between the nursing staff and clients. By means of good communication an agreeable atmosphere is created in senior homes, mental state of clients can be influenced and physical hardships are relieved. My paper aimed at describing principles of successful communication with seniors applied within complex care for clients in social and health institutions, including free time activities in the Senior Home Máj in České Budějovice and in Senior Home of Mistr Křišťan in Prachatice. The first one presuming that one of the general principles of effective communication with seniors applied in complex care for clients of health and social institutions is an interested, personal relation of the staff towards the client, accepting his/her personality, empathy and listening to him/her, creation of a friendly and optimistic atmosphere, recognition and encouragement of the client's efforts. This hypothesis was confirmed. The second hypothesis presumed an important role in encouragement of activity in seniors, the clients of health and social institutions, is played by communication methods applied in free time activities, entertaining therapeutical techniques and animation games aiming at encouragement, motivation and empowerment of clients. This hypothesis was confirmed as both institutions offer many free time activities encouraging communication, encouragement and motivation of clients. The staff realize that existing communication is not ideal as it is nurses who communicate most often with seniors when providing nursing and medical care and they would need more time. However, seniors realize and understand the lack of time on the part of the staff. Information for the practical part of the bachelor thesis was collected by means of a quantitative research in the form of a group structured interview, applying mainly the method of a directed interview and analysis of documents