Working with Families: Tips for Effective Communication and Strategies for Challenging Situations

(Updated July 2014) This paper and supplemental resources provide tips, resources and strategies to help ombudsmen improve their skills in working with families. The paper reviews key communication techniques that are important for ombudsmen in their interactions with and communicating their role to families and discusses examples of challenging situations and strategies for assisting families during those situations. The appendices include materials for ombudsmen to use to help family members enrich their communication skills related to problem solving, inform them about their rights and the facility’s responsibilities, and teach them how to self-advocate.

Click here to access the full paper with appendices in a single PDF.

The recording, PowerPoint slides, scenarios and discussion questions from the March 2013 webinar based on this paper:

This webinar addresses how LTCO work for residents while working with family members. We discuss why it is important for Ombudsmen to work with family members, provide tips for effective communication and share resources to help LTCO teach self-advocacy and empower family members.

In addition to sharing those tips and resources we review strategies for challenging situations and the participants discuss scenarios, respond to discussion questions and share their experiences in working with families.

The communication tips, resources and strategies reviewed in this webinar can be adapted and used when working with residents, resident’s legal representative and other individuals.