Getting the Information You Need

Respect a client’s preferences by making sure you get the information you need to honor them. You and the client need to:

• Know what you are expected to do.

• Understand the limits of your work.

• Feel like part of the same team.

• Avoid misunderstandings later by discussing the care tasks carefully when you first begin.

Even with information from a care plan and other care team members, you still need to talk directly with a client and ask them about his or her preferences.

Asking good questions is an art.  The way you ask questions of a client gets you more of the information you need. Ask questions specific to the task. 

For example: “Do you prefer a bath or shower this morning?”

Ask questions that are open-ended rather than questions that can be answered “yes” or “no”.

For example, asking: “What would you like for breakfast?” will get you better information than asking “Do you want breakfast now?”

Ask questions that start with what, when, where, why, and how. 

For example, the care plan says you are to help with bathing.   Ask questions like: “How hot do you like your bath water?” “What type of soap works well for you?”

Asking good questions helps you get the information you need to do your job correctly.