Baycrest Volunteer Handbook
20
• Always face your listener so they can see your face. Never
speak directly into a client's ear. This may result in distorted
speech quality and prevent them from using important visual
cues (speech reading and body language)
• Eliminate background noise where possible – turn off
televisions, radios, fans, etc.
• Paraphrase sentences you have to repeat
• Keep sentences short a
nd simple
•
Inform the listener of the topic of conversation and let them
know when the topic is changed
• When giving instructions, ensure the information has been
heard correctly
• When in doubt, ask the person how you can facilitate
communication
Managing responsive behaviours
At Baycrest, we understand that
all behaviours have meaning. We
recognize that responsive
behaviours are often a form of
communica
tion of an unmet need.
Responsive
behaviours is a term
that is often preferred by persons
with dementia, mental health,
substance use and/or other
neurological disorders to describe
how their actions, words and
gestures are a response to something important in their personal,
social or physical environment (Alzheimer Society of Ontario,
2014). These behaviours are often a result of changes in the brain
affe
cting memory, judgment, orientation and mood.
Responsive
behaviours may be :
• Physical: hitting, grabbing people, scratching, kicking, throwing
things, hurting self or others
