Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Preparing for Court- 3 Critical Strategies You Need Before You Make A Statement


Speech Language Pathologists as Trial Consultants:  
Helping to Prepare Witnesses for Court

If you are going to participate in a significant part of litigation, such as a deposition, mediation, or trial, proper preparation is important.


Your attorney may be exceptional with his speaking skills or know her way around the courtroom with her eyes closed, but what about you, the client? You need to know what to expect, how to behave, and how to respond, and this is where even the best lawyer may blow it…


they don’t tell you about the importance of your communication strategy. 


Wrapped up in other legal preparations, attorneys forget to mention how important clear and concise communication can be in achieving a positive outcome.  For this and many other reasons, attorneys often enlist the help of communication experts. Such professionals prepare clients, witnesses and experts to communicate effectively during all aspects of litigation.


Giving testimony is a scary proposition, so here are three super simple speech strategies you can use when you need to make a statement. 



#1. Be Clear

Whether you are in a deposition room or a courtroom, make sure you use good volume so that your voice projects. Also, use a slower rate of speech as you talk.  

As a witness, you have very valuable information to share.   Mumbling and speed talking can cause you to be misunderstood and make it necessary for you repeat yourself. A small, soft voice may even diminish your credibility.  

From the judge, to the court reporter, to the jury, you need to be heard and you must be understood, so if you want to be more effective, speak up and slow down.


#2. Be Concise

Ideally, witnesses need to give thoughtful responses that concisely answer the questions that were asked- giving not much more and nothing less. In order to be concise, it’s important to think before you speak

You obviously can't take 30 seconds to completely organize and edit your thoughts every time you speak, but you can make an effort to not just blurt out whatever is on your mind. Because of that, it's OK to take a few seconds to think about what you really want to say.

First, communicate the main idea, then provide supporting ideas, but don't provide irrelevant or tangential information. In other words, to be concise, keep your responses short and sweet.


#3. Be Compelling

When a person has a passion for what they’re saying, they are compelling. Putting aside drama and theatrics, a speaker is particularly compelling or effective when they use strategic pausing.  

When you’re speaking, adding brief pauses after powerful, information loaded statements allows the people listening to really absorb the details you’re sharing. Those brief moments of silence can have a real impact… and will virtually eliminate the tendency for speed talking.  

Other ways to be more confident and compelling when giving testimony include: paying attention to the tone of your voice, using inflection to add variety and interest, and displaying an appropriate demeanor.


By using this 3 part communication strategy, you will be properly prepared to give your testimony during any and all phases of litigation. 


Spontaneous Speech Coach offers professional, personalized witness preparation services. If you have additional questions or need further assistance, please contact us at 361-271-1700.  We will be happy to schedule an appointment for a private consultation.  


Be clear. Be compelling. Make a statement.


Sometimes a single phrase of testimony can set events in motion that affect someone's life for eternity.
President Dieter Uchtdorf



Wednesday, October 26, 2016

How to Make an Outstanding First Impression at an Interview



First Impressions are Lasting Impressions

What do you do to make yourself stand out from the others when interviewing for a job? Perhaps it's a firm handshake... a great smile...a dynamite resume...a unicycle?

When you're wanting to make a lasting impression, you don't have to go over the top with props or gimmicks, just be yourself and follow these recommendations.


The Dos and Don'ts for
 Making an Outstanding Impression 
During a Job Interview

Do be prepared:  

Bring paper, pen and multiple copies of you resume to an interview.

Not so  good: Don't write on my resume. I'm going to need that back before I leave.
Much better:  This is for you. I have additional copies if you need them.



Do be aware of your gestures:  

Make sure that the use of your hands, face and/or shoulders add to the message you are delivering.  Always answer questions with a complete sentence. Words like yeah, uh huh and yup should be avoided as they detract from your professional character.

Not so good: silently shrugging your shoulders when responding to questions asked
Much better:  I'm not really sure how to answer that question. That's something I really need to think about.


Do be conscientious of your body language:

Shifting around in your chair until someone is wondering if you have ants in your pants is an indication that you're wiggling way too much. When seated, sit straight up, plant your feet on the floor place your hands on your lap. A neutral position with good posture is a winner every single time.

Not so good: fidgeting, squirming
Much better: easy, relaxed posture


Do maintain good eye contact:

During an interview, your eyes indicate your confidence, professionalism and level of interest. When you maintain good eye contact, you'll appear likable and you'll feel heard, so keep your eye gaze directed toward the speaker as much as possible.  Learn to monitor your use of eye contact and eye movements, as they are often considered the most impressive of all non-verbal messages. 

Not so good: staring at a clear plastic business card holder
Much better:  maintaining consistent eye contact with the person you're speaking to


Don't make unnecessary comments or insults:  

Be careful not to offend the people you meet- they may be insulted by your remarks.

Not so good:  I think your office is weird.
Much better:  Thank you for inviting me to your office today.


Don't curse: 

Strong language can be offensive and is really never appropriate in a professional setting.

Not so good: Holy sh*t.
Much better:  Oh man. Wow wee. Golly gee.  (Anything is better than cursing.)

Don't be a know it all:

Of course, it's okay to express your professional knowledge when asked, but stopping an interviewer in his/her tracks to let them know you are a genius... not so good

Not so good: Yeah, I already know that.

Much better: Yes, you're right. I agree. I've heard that before. 

Don't share strong opinions:

Remember the old adage- if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all. Unless asked to do so, keep your opinions to yourself.

Not so good: The people at that company are stupid.

Much better: Silence.


Don't talk bad about the competition, your former boss, your coworkers, etc.  

Just like the Disney song says, it's a small, small world. Because you don't want to burn any bridges,  avoid unfavorable comments whenever possible. You never know, you could be ruining your chances at getting your next job. Negative comments directed toward others often leave you looking like the one with the problem.

Not so good:  That guy was an idiot.  I had problems dealing with him almost every day.
Much better:  I gained some very valuable experience working with him.




What kind of impression to you make when you meet someone new?  Strong communication skills, including good verbal and non-verbal abilities, will help you stand out in a variety of situations. Whether you are interviewing for a new job, a promotion, or college admission, use these tips to make an outstanding first impression...and please, leave the unicycle at home.





If you would like to improve your interviewing techniques or want to enhance your non-verbal communication skills, a professional speech coach can help. Spontaneous Speech Coach offers individual and group sessions. Call us at 361-261-1700 to get more information. We will help you make your first impression a lasting one. 



Job interviews are like first dates. Good impressions count. Awkwardness can occur. Outcomes are unpredictable. 
Unknown


Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Simple Steps for Improving Kids' Conversation Skills





Many parents are frustrated by their child's lack of social abilities. They claim the excessive use of technology is responsible for their lack of conversation skills. That may be true, but communication experts agree:  there is hope for intelligent, thoughtful, and interesting conversation with our children. The key is teaching them what makes a good conversationalist. 


The ability to have meaningful, impactful conversation is necessary for people of all ages. While it's true those skills don’t come naturally to most kids, they can be taught. In a recent Washington Post article, Sarah Hamaker outlined 10 things parents can do to help their kids be better conversationalists. Here is the excerpt from the original article.




10 Ways to Help a Child Improve
  Their Conversation Skills


#1.  Talk to your children
If you don’t have conversations with your children, you can’t teach them how to have that interaction. “Talk to your child at every opportunity about everything and anything,” says Judith Hervay, a mother of two girls now 17 and 21. “Adults should always have time to sit down and talk with their child, to show them by doing how to hold a conversation.”


#2. Practice active listening
Sometimes, a child will act bored around another sibling or friend who is talking about a topic that doesn’t interest her, and yet will expect rapt concentration when she has the floor. “Active listening is paying attention to what the other person is saying without planning what you’re going to say or thinking about something else,” says Betsy Dill, a teacher from Centerville, Virginia. Body language plays a huge part of active listening, so role play with your child what being interested looks like, such as facial expressions and verbal sounds (sighing, etc.).


#3. Cut to the chase
Children, especially young ones, have a hard time figuring out what the main point of a story is, so they tend to flood their recitations with all the facts. “You don’t have to give a blow-by-blow description of the story because that puts people to sleep,” says Dill. “Instead, you need to get to the main point pretty fast or you’ll lose the other person’s interest.” Ask questions that can help a child figure out the nugget worth sharing, including what they liked most about an event, what their favorite part was, what struck them as funny or weird.


#4. Take a breath 
Learning when to pause in a conversation is just as important as learning when to speak. “People today use so many filler words to monopolize air space,” says educator and author Rebecca Czarniecki. “We should instead use ‘real’ words and not be afraid of silence.” She recommends repeating the question or saying “Let me think about it,” instead of immediately launching into a response if you need time to craft your answer.


#5. Learn, learn, learn
“You can’t have a conversation if you don’t know anything about anything,” says Hervay. “To have a rich, intellectually rewarding and empathetic conversation, you really should know things about the world.” Reading age-appropriate books, visiting museums and taking up hobbies are just some ways for kids to enrich their minds—and give them something to talk about.


#6. Develop questions 
“The basic foundation to any conversation is having a subject,” says Czarniecki. “And one great way for kids to find that subject is to ask a question of their conversation partner.” She suggests writing down questions and putting them in a bowl to be used at the table for conversation starters.


#7. Develop empathy
“What makes someone good at conversation? Putting one’s self in the other person’s place,” says Hervay. Empathy allows us to put ourselves in the other person’s shoes. “A person, no matter how incredibly brilliant they are, will be bored if they don’t have empathy because they won’t be interested in the other person,” she says.


#8. Value silence
 Staying quiet can be very hard for many children, but parents should encourage their kids to not talk sometimes. We should help our children realize that just because they have something to say, doesn’t mean they always have to say it. “Silence is a lost art, but it’s a necessary part of any conversation,” adds Czarniecki.


#9. Be polite
Sometimes we know more about a subject than the other person, and the temptation to point that out can be great. Other times, we don’t find the topic exciting or of interest to us. “I always told my girls to not make the other person feel dumb or ignorant or inadequate in those situations,” says Hervay. “This is really hard for young kids, who want to rub it in that they know something the other person doesn’t, but it’s a great life lesson to learn.”


#10. Practice 
Conversing is a back-and-forth exchange—not a monologue or a lecture. One fun way to practice the give and take of conversation with kids is by tossing a small ball or water balloon. Toss it to the other person and ask a question, then the other person answers the question and tosses it back. “That helps children visually see the art of giving and receiving in conversation,” says Czarniecki.


Talking with our children should be enjoyable for us and for them. By providing guidance for our kids on how this works in real life, we can help them develop into good conversationalists. 

If you know someone who needs to improve their conversational skills,  call Spontaneous Speech at 361-271-1700. We will be happy to answer your questions or set up an appointment for a complimentary consultation.



The most influential of all educational factors is the conversation in a child's home
William Temple


Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Best Productivity Tip Ever!





No matter who you are, no matter what you do and  no matter what you're tying to accomplish, if you want to increase your productivity and get more done in less time, you owe it to yourself to try this one simple thing.

I think it's the best productivity tip ever.

Ready?

POWER DOWN.

It's so simple.  Whatever it is, turn it off.

You can accomplish great things when you power down the electronic devices in your life.  Here are a few examples.


Power down your computer:   

You may start off doing legitimate research, but in between Google searches, so much is happening on your computer you can't keep your focus:  instant messages, new emails and 20+ Facebook notifications. Maybe you eventually get your project done, but chances are, because of many distractions on your computer, you spent twice the amount of time you really needed to.  Ugh!

Some people just can't resist the fun of their computer and spend hours and hours sitting in front of it. As a result, they get very little accomplished.  Here's a true story.  I know someone who went to his computer to send an email for work and ended up  spending 3 hours watching country music videos on YouTube. Oh brother!  It probably took less than 10 minutes to send the email and the other 2 hours and 50 minutes were wasted. What a shame.

Don't let that be you.

How in the world can you get work done when you have so many distractions?   Well, you can't. For this reason, when you've got a list of things to do, you can improve your focus and increase your productivity by simply powering down your computer once your work is done. Send your email. Turn off the computer. Walk away. 

Give it a try...you've got nothing to lose but your time.




Power down the television:




Watching television is easy to do and takes no effort...it is a guaranteed productivity killer for both kids and adults.  Here's what I mean...

As it is, kids are some of the laziest least productive people around, but did you know, the average American kid watches TV  about 4 hours each day?  Don't those kids have anything else better to do...like do homework...study for a test...or unload the dishwasher for mom?  Kids could be more productive, more active and even make better grades in school if someone just  turned off the television and pointed them in a different direction. Great idea!

Don't think I'm just picking on kids though...adults are just as bad.

Working professionals wake up exhausted every morning because they stayed up too late watching TV.  Why? Perhaps they were binge watching an entire season of HBO's The Leftovers.  What else could they have done in those six hours?  Uh...a whole bunch!

Power down that TV and you're sure to be more productive.


Power down your cell phone:




Nothing can divert your attention or wreck your productivity faster than an noisy cell phone.  Of course, you can screen your calls or let voice mail answer for you, but most often, people can't resist the urge to take a phone call. A ringing phone is like magic- it instantly takes a hard working, good intentioned person and stops them in their tracks.  So, the recommendation is simple, power down the phone and resist the urge to take that next call until your work is done.

By all means, if you just can't bring yourself to power off the cell phone, be sure to turn off the ringer. Otherwise, your brain will be scrambled each and every time your phone gives you  a ring-a-ling to notify you of a new text message.  No kidding, just last night, in the course of about 15 minutes, I received 39 text messages from my daughter's soccer coach and 32 text messages from friends trying to make arrangements to meet for dinner. 71 ring-a-lings.  Seriously?

Adults and kids can get more accomplished than ever before, just  by unplugging, shutting down and silencing electronic devices. There are many more reasons to turn off  electronic devices than the ones discussed here, but the point is clear:

 if you want your productivity to go up, you have to power down.  




Technology is a useful servant but a dangerous master.
Christian Lous Lange

Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Coastal Bend Innovation Center



Spontaneous Speech is on the Move! 


Growing and expanding every week, Spontaneous Speech has opened an office in Corpus Christi! You can come visit us at the Coastal Bend Business Innovation Center.  We're located at 10201 South Padre Island Drive, Suite 213.  Our new number is 361-271-1700, but you can always reach us at our previous number, 800-549-0540.












Not only do we have a new office space, Spontaneous Speech is also offering a new variety of services.

Spontaneous Speech Therapy

Spontaneous Speech Therapy provides traditional  treatment sessions to target delays, difficulties and disorders of speech, language, voice, fluency, cognition and swallowing.

Unique specialty programs are available:

·      Speech and language development
·      Feeding and swallowing difficulties
·      Myofunctional disorders (Tongue Thrust)
·      Communication and socialization
·      Neurological impairments





Spontaneous Speech Coach

Spontaneous Speech Coach offers focused training for adults, teens and kids who are seeking to improve communication skills needed for success at home, school and work.  

We help you speak like you mean business:
·      Accent  Modification
·      Voice Development
·      Speech Improvement

We prepare students for success:
·      Academic Skills
·      Social Skills
·      Money Matters

Spontaneous Speech Coach will help you  improve your speaking abilities, develop more successful business relationships, increase your academic success and enhance your social skills.









Spontaneous Speech Tools

Spontaneous Speech Tools creates functionally relevant materials for healthcare professionals and caregivers to…
  • ·      stimulate conversation
  • ·      develop awareness
  • ·      increase problem solving skills
  • ·      improve reasoning abilities
  • ·      enhance safety


Our first flashcard series, Pictures for Progress:  Illness and Medication has been well received at state and national conferences. Boxes now available for purchase and Spanish translations are available.



 




Whether you decide to come see us, call us or like us on Facebook, we appreciate your interest!  Hope to see you soon in our new office!  When you come, be ready to play ping pong.



There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.
C. S. Lewis


Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Home Health- It's the Job That Makes Your Friends Jealous!



Working in Home Health:
Two Thumbs Up!


Have you ever thought of working in home health but put the idea aside because of the bad things you've heard? Well, there are two sides to every story.  So, if you're contemplating full time, part time or PRN work as a home health therapist or nurse, it's important to consider the pros and cons of the job.  Today, let's consider the tremendous opportunities and many, many reasons why you would want to be a home healthcare provider. 




The Top 10 Best Reasons You SHOULD
Work in Home Health




10.  You work by yourself- no conflict, no drama:
When you work in home health, you're going to be by yourself, day in and day out. There are no coworkers to argue with. There is no gossip to distract you from getting work done. There is no supervisor looking over your shoulder,  telling you what to do or when to it. As long as you can get along with yourself, your work days are relatively peaceful and drama free.


9.  You can enjoy a flexible work schedule:
In essence, you are your own boss.  You decide when your day begins and when it ends. You choose whether or not you will work, and you can even pick which geographic areas you will cover. Such flexibility enables you to drop kids off at school every morning and be there to pick them up every afternoon. It's easy to carve time out of the day to schedule medical and dental appointments or to enjoy lunch with friends. Depending on your caseload, half days and three day weekends can happen whenever you want them to... without having to make your request 30 days in advance. (Your friends will be so jealous!) If you need any degree of flexibility in your work schedule, home health is the way to go.


8.  Patients are highly motivated and they actually look forward to seeing you:

Once your patients are home, sleeping in their own beds and eating home cooked meals, they seem to have more energy, tolerance and motivation for therapy. Typically, this means they actually look forward to your visits. Patients can't wait to see what interesting activity you will bring, what new challenge you have to offer, what pearl of wisdom you will share, or what solution you can suggest. Once home, patients often see therapy as less of an obligation and more of an opportunity for improvement.  It's a win-win situation for you and your patient!


7.  You visit your patient in their home- a very functional environment:
In an inpatient or rehab setting or in a skilled nursing facility, providing functional therapy tasks can be difficult due to the limited nature of the environment. For instance, facility staff passes all meds, prepares all meals and performs all housekeeping tasks. Your greatest opportunity for functional treatment may be in teaching the use of the call bell or how to operate the bed control or television remote. However, once home, there are tremendous opportunities for fun and functional treatment tasks:  organizing medication, planning and preparing meals, sorting laundry, clipping coupons, planning menus, scheduling appointments, etc. Cooperation and motivation tend to go through the roof when patients realize your therapy sessions can enable them to resume functional independence.


6.  You can be very creative with your treatments:
Home health therapy allows clinicians to be very creative during their treatment sessions. Your patient can't find the bathroom? Add bright tape around the door frame. He wants to be able to do simple chores without help? Practice getting food and water for the pets at every visit. She refuses to bathe? Create a realistic (but pretend)  "prescription" from the doctor, ordering showers three times a week. Taking a creative, problem solving approach to treatment can make your job more fun, and make life at home less frustrating, confusing or unsafe for patients and family members. 


5.  Family members are present for teaching and instruction:

While in a facility, patients are often alone, and communication with family members is limited to a written note taped to a bedside table or a fluorescent orange sign posted above the bed.  Once they get home, however, spouses, children, relatives and friends are almost always around. This is a golden opportunity for home health workers to provide education and demonstration of important techniques and strategies. When this happens, caregivers learn and understand right alongside the patients, enabling excellent consistency, compliance and carryover of skills. Everybody wins!


4.  You are well compensated:
While visit rates will vary, there is no doubt that home health workers are well compensated. It is not uncommon for a PRN therapist to be paid $15-$25 more than a salaried, facility-based employee. In some cases, nurses and therapists working part time in home health can make just as much as a full time hospital or clinic employee. 


3.  40 minute treatments:
Without having to fuss with a coworker or negotiate with a manager, home health visits are typically 40 minutes long. This allows more than enough time to get things accomplished and enables a therapist to target a variety of goals. 


2.  Professional autonomy:

Working within agency guidelines and/or insurance parameters,the therapist is able to autonomously make decisions that influence all aspects of patient care. Home health therapists will decide who will be picked up for therapy, the number of visits to be made each week, the total number of weeks the patient will be seen and when the patient will be discharged.  As a home health therapist, you have a tremendous amount of control when establishing a plan of care. It's a great feeling being able to give your patients what they need without begging or bargaining for time.


1.  Satisfaction of witnessing recovery:

In the hospital, patients are in and out in a matter of days. In this type of acute setting and with such a short stay, you're not sure if they've gone to heaven or gone home. It can be hard to deal with. In rehab, time flies and your patients are gone before you even get to know them. Working in home health, it's not uncommon to follow a patient for two, three or even four months. This amount of time enables you to see recovery and experience the satisfaction of know that your treatment made a difference. 


Being a home healthcare provider is fun, challenging and satisfying, all at the same time! Overall, home health is wonderful and it offers great opportunities to nurses and therapists all across the country... but it's not for everyone. In a separate post, you can find a list of the top 10 reasons why being a home health therapist is like your worst nightmare. Be sure to check it out!

In the meantime, what are your thoughts?  Where do you work? Feel free to post your comments below, and, as always, please share this information with someone you know that may benefit. 




The supreme accomplishment is to blur the line between work and play.
Arthur Toynbee


Wednesday, September 21, 2016

What No One Tells You About the Dark Side of Home Health Therapy


Working in Home Health: 
 Two Thumbs down?


Have you ever thought of working in home health?  There are tremendous opportunities and many, many reasons why you would want to be a home healthcare provider.  Nonetheless, as the saying goes, there are two sides to every story.  So, if you're contemplating  full time, part time or PRN work as a home health therapist or nurse, remember to take time to consider the pros and cons of the job.


In a separate post, you can find a list of the top 10 reasons why being a home health therapist is like a dream come true, but today, take a look at the downside of  working in the home health industry.



The Top 10 Reasons
 Why You Don't Want to Work
 in Home Health


10.  Your car is your office:
There's no fax machine for communicating with doctors. There's no desk for you to comfortably complete your documentation. Worst of all, there is no bathroom when you're at work. If that's not bad enough, to have them accessible, all of your therapy materials must be kept in your car.


9.  Driving will be a part of your day:

You will encounter traffic jams, lane closures, accidents, detours, slow moving trains, speed zones and all of the things associated with a regular commute to work, but when you work as a home healthcare provider, you will be dealing with it all day long. Depending on where you live and work, it's not unusual for a full time worker to drive an average of 80-100 miles each day.


8.  Medical records are sketchy at best:

More often than not, you will blindly enter a patient's home having very little information about past medical history and wondering why you're there. Primary admitting diagnoses can be random and completely irrelevant to your scope of practice.  For instance, an SLP may receive an order to evaluate a patient with a primary diagnosis of Diabetes Mellitus and a secondary diagnosis of necrotic ulcer to the foot. Eventually, you learn your patient has recently been hospitalized for aspiration pneumonia...that's when it begins to make sense.


7.  You work by yourself:

It can be lonely out there. If you enjoy socializing with nurses and like to have lunch with your therapy friends, then home health is not for you. You will spend the entire day by yourself. In fact, weeks may pass and you don't even get a glimpse of  a coworker. Because they're not around, those same people that make work fun or interesting are not available for you if you need a quick sounding board. Getting fast help with clinical problem solving or collaborating with other professionals  just isn't possible.


6.  Visits are not always easy to schedule:

Without a doubt, scheduling is difficult in any setting, but it can be particularly challenging once patients are back home.  In addition to routine therapy and nursing visits, you also have to deal with: showers,  hair appointments, visiting relatives, favorite television shows, medical appointments and naps. All of these things can and will get in the way of you scheduling your visits. Also keep in mind: visits before 9:00am are almost unheard, nap time is from 1:00-3:00pm for patients of all ages, and visits after dark  are almost always out of the question.


5.  You treat patients in their homes:

No matter how hot, how dirty, or how dangerous the neighborhood appears to be, the show must go on when providing home health services- you don't get a choice. Furniture may be covered with cat hair or it may be completely absent. A lack of air conditioning in the home may leave sweat rolling down your back. Roaches are a fairly common. Patients sometimes make inappropriate advances. Generally speaking, home health work is not for the prissy, weak or faint of heart.



4.  Missed visits mean lost income:

When your patient isn't home or cancels a visit at the last minute, you will find yourself with nothing to do. While a missed visit can be a welcome break in the middle of a busy day, it can really wreck that schedule you worked to hard to create.  Keep in mind, you're not making money unless you're sitting in front of a patient. That means, sitting in your car is not only wasted time, it's also lost wages.


3.  Documentation- Ugh!:

Everything must be documented according to the strictest of Medicare standards. That's usually the case anywhere you go.  It gets tricky and complicated when agencies  have their own specifications for documenting your work. They tell you to complete all of your documentation in the presence of your patient, but, unless you like long, awkward silences while you look at your computer, it's just not possible. You will spend hours at the end of each work day completing your paperwork so that it can be submitted by the deadline.  Evals, re assessments and visit notes are expected to be completed within 24 hours. Believe it or not, sometimes that's not easy to do.



2.  It's not an environment for rookies:

Working in home health is not recommended for new graduates. There are no professional safety nets available and the type of experience you gain is somewhat limited.


1.  You have to maintain a tight schedule and stick to it like glue:

The time related pressure of working in home health can sometimes be the most difficult thing. In order to get the most done, visits are often scheduled back to back.  When that happens, your schedule has to be executed with precision...down to the minute on some days. Getting off schedule by just 5 minutes in the morning can cause you to be late every where you go, all day long.


Working as a home healthcare provider definitely has it's dark side, but it's not all that bad. In fact, nothing is really that awful if you are prepared for it. Hopefully, this information is an eye opener for you and helps you make the best decision possible as to whether or not a job in home health is for you.

Your dream job doesn't exist...you have to create it.
Unknown