Keeping geriatric patients comfortable can be challenging, especially when they have multiple health issues. Ensuring patient comfort is crucial for patients and their families, and it should also be a priority for your hospital, as it significantly impacts patient satisfaction.
Instituting a comprehensive training program supporting comfort solutions for geriatric patients can help your staff provide an even higher level of care. Whether you use formal training sessions or lunch-and-learns, ongoing training should be a priority. Here are a few tips to get you started:
Start with the Basics
Make sure your staff understands the basics of working with geriatric patients, including addressing them with respect and treating them like adults, regardless of any cognitive deficits. It’s also helpful to point out how easy it is to unintentionally speak to older adults in a childlike manner. For example, simply raising your voice can lead to talking more slowly and using a singsong tone, something many people do without realizing it.
Although staff members will need to speak louder if a patient is hard of hearing, it’s important not to use a patronizing or condescending tone. When patients feel that you treat them like equals, they’re much more likely to let you know when issues arise that affect their health and comfort.
Teach Them How to Identify Problems
Geriatric patients may not complain about pain or problems for several reasons. They may not feel comfortable voicing their concerns, may no longer have the language skills to express themselves, or may not notice that there is a problem. Focus on identifying ailments common to geriatric patients, such as dementia, arthritis, and hearing and vision loss.
Use Vapocoolant Spray for Venipuncture Pain Management
Geriatric patients often require venipuncture, and for those with a fear of needles, even the anticipation of a blood draw or IV insertion can trigger significant anxiety. This anxiety can be further heightened if the patient doesn’t fully understand what’s happening or why the procedure is necessary, especially in cases of cognitive decline or communication barriers. Clear, respectful explanations and a calm approach can go a long way in easing their discomfort.
Fortunately, there are solutions you can use to increase patient comfort for these patients. A study supported by a grant from the Gebauer Company and conducted by a professor at Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine’s Department of Emergency Medicine at Case Western Reserve University studied the impact of vapocoolant spray on 100 adults, ages 18-80, who received blood draws in the emergency department.
Patients received either a sterile water placebo spray or Gebauer’s Pain Ease® topical anesthetic skin refrigerant. Of the patients who received Gebauer’s Pain Ease, 78% reported less pain compared to previous blood draws. Within the placebo group, 14% reported less pain from the sterile water spray compared to previous blood draws.
Additionally, 80% of patients who received Gebauer’s Pain Ease said they would use the spray in the future, compared to just 20% in the placebo group.
Empower Your Staff to Find Solutions
Recognizing patient concerns is only the first step; what truly matters is making sure your staff can take action to improve comfort and care. Take time to review your department’s referral processes to ensure patients are getting the support they need from other services. Encourage your team to think creatively and share ideas for solving common patient issues.
A group at one hospital realized that being cold was a risk factor for some geriatric patients and obtained gently worn turtlenecks for them to wear.
Increasing patient comfort is often as simple as providing more blankets or ensuring that a hard-of-hearing patient sees an audiologist. Remind your staff that since geriatric patients may be reluctant or unable to voice their concerns, it’s up to team members to identify problems and find solutions.
With the increased emphasis on patient-centered care and HCAHPS scores, it’s more important than ever to focus on patient comfort and satisfaction. Training your staff to identify and respond to issues and concerns will help you ensure that you’re doing everything possible to make the hospital experience a positive one for your patients.
Concerned about your HCAHPS scores? Learn how to improve them with our free guide, A Nurse’s Guide to Positively Impacting HCAPHS Scores.
