Working in the medical field provides so many rewarding opportunities. The ability to help patients get the care they need and support them every step of the way makes all the challenges worth it. However, not all patients are the same, and working with older patients takes some special skills. At Prism Career Institute, our Medical Assistant program provides in-depth training to help students learn the medical assistant responsibilities they need to handle the next step in their careers. Let’s look at some helpful tips you can use if you’re interested in taking on a role in senior care.
Older Patients Require Patience
While hospitals and doctor’s offices are often fast-paced environments, working with the older may require you to slow things down. Older people may need physical assistance and may be slower when moving.
They also may not understand every aspect of a medical diagnosis, so it’s important to take your time when talking to them. You may even have to speak with a family member to ensure everything is understood. Learning to support older patients as they seek medical care means showing respect and moving at their pace, not your own.
Adjust Your Communication Skills when Working with Older Patients
Older patients may struggle with communication. This can mean that they either don’t have the words or desire to express their problems, or they have a physical limitation that prevents them from doing so. It’s important to understand how they communicate and shift your approach as needed.
When it comes to explaining diagnoses, procedures, and other treatment options, you’ll want to be concise and straightforward. Treating them like an adult also helps show respect. An older patient may not be as acquainted with modern terminology or the most innovative medical advancements, so it’s important to make sure they feel confident in the direction of their care. Medical assistants should also make a point to speak to the patient face-to-face, as many older patients may suffer from hearing loss.
Medical Assistants Should Make Everything Clear
Older patients may not have the time or patience to handle long explanations. Unfortunately, much of the medical world revolves around complex terminology. Medical assistants need to make diagnoses and treatment options easily understandable. This will help older patients understand their situation and make more informed decisions going forward.
Because older patients often deal with more than one medical condition at once, it’s also helpful to write down or print out the main points of the visit. This will allow them to look back on the biggest takeaways if they need to discuss the matter with family members or make treatment decisions later. This can also help them if they have future medical visits and need to reference past appointments to explain conditions or health issues they’ve dealt with.
Ask Questions
Older patients may not know exactly how to describe what they’re feeling. They also might get lost in thought or forget certain aspects of their condition. If you notice they might need help, it’s smart to ask simple questions. This can get to the root of the problem and help them remember important information they would otherwise have forgotten. Asking questions is an easy way to touch on topics without requiring them to come up with questions themselves.
It’s also important not to shy away from sensitive topics. There are plenty of vital questions that seniors face and avoiding them won’t help. Some of these topics are:
- Long-term care
- Advanced care planning
- Issues with driving
- Urinary incontinence
- Mental health issues
- Elder abuse
- Social isolation
- Sexual health
- Substance abuse
- End-of-life care considerations
Consider Our Medical Assistant Program
Working with older patients can bring joy to both the patients and medical professionals. At Prism Career Institute, you can enroll in a medical assistant school with experienced and passionate instructors who want to assist students in their career journeys. Our Medical Assistant program can be taken in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Cherry Hill and West Atlantic City, New Jersey. It offers a comprehensive study of this gratifying profession. You’ll learn about medical law and ethics, pharmacology, phlebotomy, anatomy and physiology, clinical procedures, EKGs, and more. Students will also learn basic skills like professional communication and infection control that will come in handy in nearly any work environment they enter.
The program runs for 40 weeks, with a mix of lecture hours, lab hours, and externship hours to give you well-rounded training in the field. There are both day and evening courses available in New Jersey, which can help you fit training into your schedule. We also provide financial aid to those who qualify. If you’re ready to explore this fulfilling career choice, apply online or contact us today.