Viki will be presenting at NASW’s CA Annual Conference on 10/9/10

Viki will be presenting “4 Tools to Help Families Making the Difficult Decisions”  at the National Association of Social Workers CA Annual Conference on 10/9/10 from 9-12pm PST

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) is the largest membership organization of professional social workers in the world, with 145,000 members.

NASW works to enhance the professional growth and development of its members, to create and maintain standards for the profession, and to advance sound social policies. NASW also contributes to the well-being of individuals, families and communities through its work and advocacy.

NASW was founded in 1955 through a merger of seven social work organizations:

• American Association of Social Workers
• American Association of Medical Social Workers
• American Association of Psychiatric Social Workers
• National Association of School Social Workers
• American Association of Group Workers
• Association for the Study of Community Organization
• Social Work Research Group

Have a kind and respectful day.

Making Difficult Life & Medical Decisions presentation at the FSGA Annual Conference 7/17/10

Viki will be giving a presentation at the Florida State Guardianship Association’s (FSGA) Annual Conference on 4 Tools for Making Difficult Life and Medical Decisions on 7/17/10 at 10:50am.

FSGA is a nonprofit corporation founded in 1983 for the improvement of guardianship services. Governed by a Board of Directors representing five geographical areas of the State, FSGA is dedicated to promoting the protection, dignity, and value of incapacitated persons through ethics, advocacy, and the dissemination of information.

FSGA’s mission also includes a focus on furthering the professionalization of guardians as accountable court representatives through education, networking, and legislative action.

Guardianship is the management of the affairs of someone who has been judged unable to manage their own affairs. Generally guardianship is ordered by a court on behalf of someone who is called a ward of the court. A guardian assumes the rights of the ward to make decisions about many aspects of daily life. A guardian is directed by ethics and statute to make decisions in the best interest of the ward.

FSGA members include professional private guardians, corporate guardians and fiduciaries, attorneys, social workers, care managers, government agency and court staff and others interested in the support and advancement of guardianship services and alternative protective services.

Have a kind and respectful day.

PROSPECT PARK RESIDENCE TO HOST “Four Tools for Making the Difficult Life and Health Decisions” 6/30/10 6pm EST

Families, Caregivers and Healthcare Professionals Invited to Free Informative Session

Prospect Park Residence, a full-service senior living community in Brooklyn, NY, will host an informational session for families, caregivers and healthcare professionals titled, “Four Tools for Making the Difficult Life and Health Decisions”.

The event will take place on Wednesday, June 30, 6-7:30 pm.

The session will provide attendees with information and guidance on
how to make the right medical decisions for loved ones with care and
compassion while respecting what is or was important to that person.

Prospect Park Residence is located at One Prospect Park West at Grand Army Plaza, directly across the street from Prospect Park. For more information or to RSVP, visit www.prospectparkresidence.com or call (718) 622-8400.

Have a kind and respectful day.

Four Tools for Making Difficult Life & Health Decisions

Prospect Park Residence, a full-service senior living community in Brooklyn, NY, will host an informational session for families, caregivers and healthcare professionals titled, “Four Tools for Making the Difficult Life and Health Decisions”.

The event will take place on Wednesday, June 30, 6-7:30 pm. The discussion will be led by author Viki Kind, MA, a clinical bioethicist, medical educator and hospice volunteer.

Reservations are required.

The session will provide attendees with information and guidance on
how to make the right medical decisions for loved ones with care and
compassion while respecting what is or was important to that person.

Prospect Park Residence is located at One Prospect Park West at Grand Army Plaza, directly across the street from Prospect Park. For more information or to RSVP, visit www.prospectparkresidence.com or call (718) 622-8400.

Have a kind and respectful day.

Your Patient’s Just Not That Into You

Are you the difficult doctor? Are you making things better or worse for your patient and their family? You might be perceived as a difficult doctor if:

– The nurses hide when you come onto the floor

– You will not return phone calls

– You will not listen to the patient/family

– You appear too busy and in a hurry to demonstrate compassion

– You will not respect the patient’s wishes or the patient’s advance directive

– You will not transfer the patient to another doctor who would be a better fit

– You have a bias against the patient’s culture, religion, gender, sexual orientation, etc.

I had a doctor tell me that the nurses hide from him but he was sure he wasn’t the problem. I just smiled as he went on to defend his rude and aggressive behaviors. I tried to explain to him that how you treat a patient affects the medical outcome. Research has shown that if a patient trusts you, they will heal faster. And trust comes from good communication. I told him that I understood that he didn’t mean to be difficult and that he may just be misunderstood because he is so busy.

If your patients aren’t that into you, then here are some strategies to help your patients reconnect with you.

Here is the most important point: We want to turn judgment into compassion. When a person comes into your office, you don’t know what just happened in their life. They may be grumpy, angry, frustrated or sad because they are in the middle of a divorce, their brother just died or they just had a car accident. Whenever I see someone in a bad mood, I give them the benefit of the doubt. I try to be compassionate and give them extra support. Usually, just showing them some kindness turns the situation around and I become a trusted ally.

Other ways to rebuild the relationship:

1. Be aware of your negative expectations. If you walk in expecting the worst, you will get it.

2. Avoid making assumptions. Your assumptions may be wrong. There may be a good reason this patient is being difficult and if you can find out what it is, you can help resolve their issues.

3. Listen more so you can understand the patient’s perspective. Listening itself can be an act of healing. When you listen, the patient feels cared about.

4. When we deal with someone who is difficult, our frustration makes us pull away from them. What we really need to do is to monitor our emotions and reactions so we can continue to be empathetic and compassionate.

5. If the patient continues to be non-compliant, work on maintaining the relationship through an ongoing dialogue. If the patient can rebuild their trust in you over time, they may begin to take your advice. You have the power to change it from a conflicted relationship into a collaborative one.