Learn It
Live It
Share ItCommunication, Observation and Reporting
in the Academy
📝 Welcome, Caregiver!
See it, say it, write it down. This module is about 8 classroom-equivalent hours across the video lesson, this eBook and practice.
By the end you can
- Use clear, respectful communication with clients, families and the care team
- Tell the difference between objective and subjective observations
- Document care accurately and on time
🪙 You earn LEARN It coins as you turn the pages, and a chapter badge when you reach each section.
Communication, Observation and Reporting
Talk with, not at
Face the person, use their preferred name, speak clearly and give one step at a time. Check that they understood. Use an interpreter for a different language. Do not use family members, especially children, to interpret medical information.
Use your senses
Observation means noticing with your eyes, ears, nose and touch. Look at skin color, breathing, mood, eating, how the person moves, and the color and amount of urine and stool.
Objective vs. subjective
Objective is what you see or measure: "ate half of lunch, temperature 100.8 °F." Subjective is what the client tells you: "says her stomach hurts." Write subjective words in quotes. Never guess or diagnose in your notes.
Communication, Observation and Reporting continued
Report changes fast
Tell your supervisor the same day about changes such as new pain, a fall, confusion, a fever, skin breakdown, trouble breathing, less eating or drinking, or changes in urine or stool. Call 911 first for an emergency.
Document the right way
Write only what you did and saw, after you do it, never before. Include date and time. Use your agency's system. If you make a mistake, correct it the way your agency requires. Never erase or write over a note. The record is a legal document.
Words Caregivers Use
Facts you can see, hear, feel, smell or measure.
What the client says they feel. Record it in their words.
The written or electronic record of care given and changes seen.
A trained person who translates spoken words between languages.
Mr. Johnson seems "off"
Mr. Johnson usually chats while you make breakfast. Today he is quiet, did not touch his toast and says, "I just feel tired." His skin feels warm.
Your care steps
- Ask him how he feels and listen
- Take his temperature if it is on your care plan
- Note what you saw and what he said, with the time
- Call your supervisor to report the changes
- Document the report and any instructions you were given
In the Qwest, the steps are shuffled. Put them in the safest order to earn your LIVE It coins.
Keep caring: Communication, Observation and Reporting
The rest of this eBook — the scenario, practice check, skills lab list, care log and answer key.
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- "He seems sad."
- Ate 25% of dinner
- "She says she is dizzy."
- He is probably getting sick
- Before you do it, to save time
- After you do it
- At the end of the week
- Only if something goes wrong
- Ask her 10-year-old grandson
- Speak louder
- Use a qualified interpreter
- Skip the instruction
- Report it to your supervisor the same day
- Wait to see if it gets worse
- Put lotion on it and say nothing
- Tell the neighbor
- Erase it
- Use correction fluid
- Correct it the way your agency requires
- Tear out the page
Answers are on page 11. In the Qwest this is the Boss Quiz — score 80% to earn the station badge.
Keep caring: Communication, Observation and Reporting
The rest of this eBook — the scenario, practice check, skills lab list, care log and answer key.
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Practice and get checked on these 1 skills
Federal rules list communication as a subject area checked by observing the aide with a patient or pseudo-patient.
| Skill | Date practiced | Instructor initials |
|---|---|---|
| Verbal report of a client change to the supervising nurse (role-play) |
Hands-on skills and competency checks are completed in person with an approved partner program. Reading this eBook does not make you competent in a skill. Aides follow the care plan and the supervising nurse. For medicines, follow your state's rules and your agency's care plan.
Keep caring: Communication, Observation and Reporting
The rest of this eBook — the scenario, practice check, skills lab list, care log and answer key.
Get this eBook · $9.99All 10 eBooks + Ambassador membership · $49Home Care learners and Ambassadors: this series is included.Sign in to unlockTeach It Forward
The fastest way to master a skill is to teach it. Your Share It challenge:
- Teach a friend the difference between objective and subjective with one example of each.
- Use teach-back: ask them to tell or show you the idea in their own words.
- Post what you learned (no client names or photos) in your group or the Share It Studio to earn SHARE It coins.
Keep caring: Communication, Observation and Reporting
The rest of this eBook — the scenario, practice check, skills lab list, care log and answer key.
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Use this log to practice objective notes during lab or role-play. In a real job, use your agency's record system only. Never write client names here.
| Date / time | What I saw or measured | What the client said | Who I told | Instructions given |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Report changes the same day. Call 911 first in an emergency.
Keep caring: Communication, Observation and Reporting
The rest of this eBook — the scenario, practice check, skills lab list, care log and answer key.
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- B. Ate 25% of dinner — Objective means something you saw or measured.
- B. After you do it — Document after care is given, never before.
- C. Use a qualified interpreter — Use a trained interpreter, not children or untrained family.
- A. Report it to your supervisor the same day — Skin changes are early warning signs. Report them.
- C. Correct it the way your agency requires — Never erase. Follow your agency's correction method.
Source: Home Care & Digital Caregiving, Force for Health Academy (2026). Mapped to 42 CFR 484.80 and AHCCCS Direct Care Worker Principles of Caregiving. Rules differ by state and agency: always follow your state's rules, your agency's policies and the client's care plan.
Keep caring: Communication, Observation and Reporting
The rest of this eBook — the scenario, practice check, skills lab list, care log and answer key.
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Each eBook pairs with a video lesson in the Force for Health Academy. Hands-on skills and competency checks are completed in person with an approved partner program.
theforce.health/home-care-pathway · FFH Virtual LibraryKeep caring: Communication, Observation and Reporting
The rest of this eBook — the scenario, practice check, skills lab list, care log and answer key.
Get this eBook · $9.99All 10 eBooks + Ambassador membership · $49Home Care learners and Ambassadors: this series is included.Sign in to unlock