The Nurse’s Role: Communication and Teaching
Skills in Long-Term Care Part 1

Presented by Cathy Wollman

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Video Runtime: 40 Minutes; Learning Assessment Runtime: 13 Minutes

This course will provide an evidence-based review of communication and teaching skills for use with older adults, with a focus on complex older adults who reside in long-term care settings. Clear communication is essential to support effective and caring relationships. Communication and teaching skills are also critical to patient or resident self-care management of complex chronic diseases. Communication is affected by normal aging changes, including sensory loss, slower processing of information, and functional problems, such as pain, fatigue, or cognitive loss. Communication that supports the ability of the older adult to understand and use health information is a professional, legal, and ethical responsibility for nurses in long-term care.

Meet your instructor

Cathy Wollman

Dr. Wollman has been an educator and clinician for more than 35 years. She has worked as a gerontologic nurse practitioner at multiple sites of care across the health care system. She also served as director of senior health for a large health system and the coordinator of the nurse practitioner program for more than ten…

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Chapters & learning objectives

Communication With Frail Older Adults

1. Communication With Frail Older Adults

This chapter will provide an overview of communication strategies for use with frail older adults, and their families. It includes a rationale for essential communication and an overview of the process of communication. Factors that influence communication in long-term care including attitudes and beliefs about aging are reviewed.

Aging Changes That Affect Communication With Frail Older Adults

2. Aging Changes That Affect Communication With Frail Older Adults

The effects of normal aging changes as well as cognitive and functional changes will be discussed. Common communication challenges, assessment methods, interventions, and effective responses to improve communication with frail older adults will be included in this chapter.