Home & Family Caregiver
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HOME & FAMILY CAREGIVER TRACK

Working with a Family & Communication

Be a respectful guest · communicate with kindness & clarity · stay in your lane
⚠ DRAFT — pending sign-off
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K
Coach Katie
Great home care is relationships as much as skills. You're often a guest in someone's home, at a hard time in their life. How you communicate and carry yourself is what families remember.
The mindset

You're a guest — and part of the team

  • The home is theirs. Respect their space, routines, culture, food, faith, and house rules — even when they differ from yours.
  • The patient is the center. Protect their dignity and choices — offer options, explain before you touch, and never talk about them as if they aren't there.
  • You're on a team. The family, the nurse, and the agency are your teammates — keep them informed.
How to communicate

Warm, clear, and listening

Introduce & explain. Say who you are and what you're about to do, every visit. "I'm going to help you wash up now — is that okay?"
Listen more than you talk. Ask open questions ("How did last night go?"), then really listen. Reflect back what you heard.
Be honest and kind. Don't make promises you can't keep. If you don't know, say "I'll ask the nurse."
Stay calm in conflict. If a family member is upset, lower your voice, don't argue, acknowledge feelings, and loop in the agency if needed.
Cultural humility: ask, don't assume. "Is there anything about your routines or customs I should know so I can help the right way?" goes a long way.
Stay in your lane

Scope & boundaries

✔ Do
  • Report changes and concerns to the nurse/agency
  • Keep what you see & hear private (confidentiality)
  • Keep the relationship professional and warm
  • Write down what you did and noticed
✘ Don't
  • Give medical advice or change meds/treatments — that's the clinician's job
  • Accept money, gifts, or get pulled into family disputes
  • Share the family's private information with others
  • Do tasks outside your role or training
If you ever see signs of harm — unsafe conditions, injuries you can't explain, or possible abuse or neglect — report it to your agency/supervisor per policy. Protecting the person comes first.
K
Coach Katie
Two everyday situations. Choose the response that's respectful, in-scope, and keeps the team informed.
K
Coach Katie
Five questions. 75% to earn the Family & Communication stamp.
K
Coach Katie
You learned it, you lived it — now share it. Pick the promises you'll actually keep this week. Ticking at least two is how the ripple reaches the families and caregivers around you.
Share It · My caregiver pledges

Pick at least 2 you'll do

Tap each pledge you'll carry into a real home this week.

Force for Health® · Home & Family Caregiver Track
A standalone module — it also lives in the Home & Family Caregiver Track.
DRAFT. For caregiver training only.