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Communication Techniques (Communication Gijutsu)

National Exam for Certified Care Workers 介護福祉士 · 介護福祉士国家試験(筆記) · Written by Tokutei Pass based on the official study texts; not copied verbatim.

Fundamentals of Communication with Users and Questioning / Listening Skills

In care communication, the foundations are 'Active Listening' (Keichou — listening attentively without interrupting), 'Acceptance' (Juyou — receiving feelings as they are), and 'Empathic Understanding' (Rogers — understanding from the user's perspective).

Questioning techniques include 'Closed Questions' (answerable with Yes/No or single words) and 'Open Questions' (allowing the person to freely express thoughts and feelings), used appropriately according to the situation.

'Repetition / Restatement' (returning key words from the user's speech to show attentive listening) and 'Clarification' (organizing and confirming vague feelings or issues) are also effective techniques.

When a conversation grows long or at the end of an interview, 'Summarization' confirms key points; for users reluctant to talk, appropriate 'Self-Disclosure' by the care worker builds reassurance.

Beyond verbal language, harmonizing non-verbal communication—matching eye level, gentle facial expressions, nodding, timely back-channeling, and respecting silence—fosters trust.

Key points


  • Appropriate use of Closed Questions (Yes/No answers) and Open Questions (free expression)

  • Purposes of Active Listening, Repetition/Restatement, Clarification, Summarization, and Self-Disclosure
WordMeaning
Open Questions and Closed Questions
Repetition (Restatement) and Clarification
Summarization and Self-Disclosure
Active Listening, Acceptance, and Empathic Understanding

Communication with Families and Coordinating Differing Wishes

In supporting a user's life, family members are both vital partners and 'recipients of support' who carry caregiving burdens and anxiety about the future.

When family members express complaints or hardships about caregiving, rather than rushing to advise or criticize, care workers should acknowledge their efforts and listen empathetically.

In home or facility care, wishes often conflict between the user ('wanting to continue living at home') and the family ('wanting facility admission for safety').

In such cases, care workers must not justify or impose only one side's opinion, but listen to the background thoughts and anxieties of both parties and act as a coordinating bridge.

By sharing information with the Care Manager and multidisciplinary team, workers help explore concrete support measures (service adjustments or environmental modifications) that protect both the user's dignity and the family's life.

Key points


  • Acknowledge the family's daily caregiving burden and anxiety, listening empathetically without criticism

  • When user and family wishes differ, avoid imposing one side and coordinate by listening to both perspectives
WordMeaning
Family caregiving burden (need for respite care)
Discrepancy and coordination between user and family wishes
Advocacy and bridging communication
Family support perspective

Communication with Persons with Hearing Impairment or Age-Related Hearing Loss

'Age-related hearing loss' (Presbycusis) is a 'sensorineural hearing loss' caused by functional decline from the inner ear to the auditory nerve, characterized by difficulty hearing high-pitched sounds and reduced speech discrimination.

Shouting loudly into the ear of a person with sensorineural hearing loss distorts sounds, making speech harder to understand and causing discomfort or intimidation; speak slowly and clearly in a calm, slightly lower-pitched voice.

For the conversation environment, reduce background noise such as turning off the TV, approach from the better-hearing side, and speak directly in front of the person in a well-lit area so facial expressions and lip movements are clearly visible.

When wearing a mask hides the mouth and muffles the voice, actively combine visual information such as gestures, written notes, illustrations, or showing actual objects.

If the user wears a hearing aid, check daily for dead batteries, earwax blockage, or whistling feedback (howling) caused by improper fitting.

Key points


  • Age-related hearing loss (sensorineural) impairs high-frequency hearing; shouting distorts sound and is counterproductive

  • Speak in a quiet place facing the user so lip movements are visible, combining visual aids like written communication and gestures
WordMeaning
Age-related hearing loss (Presbycusis / Sensorineural hearing loss)
Decline in speech discrimination
Lip-reading, Written communication, and Sign language
Checking hearing aid feedback (howling)

Communication with Persons with Visual Impairment

Suddenly touching a person with visual impairment (total blindness, low vision, visual field constriction, night blindness) startles them; always state your name first and verbally explain the action before touching.

When explaining the location or direction of objects, demonstrative pronouns like 'this,' 'that,' or 'over there' convey no meaning; use concrete descriptions such as '20 centimeters in front of your right hand.'

When explaining meal placement on a tray or items on a table, the 'Clock Position' method—likening the layout to a clock face ('rice is at 6 o'clock, main dish is at 12 o'clock')—is highly effective.

Never rearrange furniture or daily items that the user has memorized without permission, and always return items moved during cleaning to their exact original positions.

For persons with low vision, utilize large bold print, high-contrast color schemes (white or yellow text on a black background), video magnifiers, screen readers, and Braille.

Communication with Persons with Visual Impairment

Key points


  • Always identify yourself and speak before touching; avoid vague pronouns ('this/over there') and describe locations concretely

  • Use the 'Clock Position' for meals and never move indoor items without returning them to their fixed places
WordMeaning
Clock Position (explaining layout using a clock face)
Avoiding demonstrative pronouns (this, that, over there)
Low vision and high-contrast color schemes
Braille, voice reading devices, and video magnifiers

Communication with Persons with Aphasia, Dysarthria, Intellectual Disabilities, or ASD

In 'Motor Aphasia' (Broca's aphasia) following cerebrovascular disease, comprehension is relatively preserved but speaking is difficult; use Yes/No questions, picture cards, or letter boards and wait patiently without rushing.

Conversely, in 'Sensory Aphasia' (Wernicke's aphasia), speech is fluent but verbal comprehension is impaired with frequent word substitutions (paraphasia); use short sentences paired with real objects, photos, and gestures.

In 'Dysarthria' caused by paralysis of speech muscles, language comprehension and reading/writing abilities remain intact, making 50-sound kana boards, written notes, and portable communication devices effective.

For persons with intellectual disabilities, avoid abstract or ambiguous expressions; convey one thing at a time using short, concrete, easy-to-understand words while confirming comprehension.

Persons with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) process visual information more easily than spoken words alone; use picture cards and visual schedules ('visual structuring') so they can foresee 'when, where, and what' will happen.

Key points


  • Motor (Broca's) aphasia has good comprehension but difficulty speaking (Yes/No questions work well); Sensory (Wernicke's) aphasia impairs comprehension

  • Dysarthria preserves language comprehension so written notes/kana boards work well; visual structuring is effective for ASD
WordMeaning
Motor aphasia (Broca's) and Sensory aphasia (Wernicke's)
Dysarthria and 50-sound kana board
Picture cards and Communication boards
Visual structuring (presenting schedules visually)

Communication with Persons with Dementia or Depressive States

Persons with dementia experience strong anxiety and confusion due to memory impairment and disorientation. Therefore, the golden rule is never to point out mistakes, deny, argue with, or scold them.

When facing delusions of theft ('someone stole my wallet') or a desire to go home ('I want to go home'), first accept their anxious feelings ('That must be worrying') and search together or chat over tea to provide reassurance.

Giving too much information rapidly causes confusion; match their eye level with a gentle smile and speak in short, simple phrases one item at a time.

Meanwhile, persons in a 'depressive state' (depression) suffer from intense self-blame and helplessness, already pushing themselves to the limit.

Therefore, avoid casual encouragement like 'Do your best!' (Ganbatte) or 'Cheer up!', which increases psychological pressure; instead, empathize with their distress ('It must be hard for you') and watch over them calmly.

Key points


  • Do not deny or argue with delusions or desire to go home in dementia; accept their anxious feelings and act together

  • Do not tell depressed individuals to 'Do your best!'; empathize with their pain and prioritize rest and supportive observation
WordMeaning
Responding to delusions of theft and desire to go home
Prohibition of denial, persuasion, and scolding
Acceptance and empathy toward feelings
Avoiding 'Do your best!' encouragement in depressive states

Principles of Care Recording (Objective Facts vs. Subjective Judgments) and Privacy Protection

Care records are vital official documents that maintain continuity and consistency of care across the team, evaluate the care process, and share information with medical staff and families.

When writing records, apply '5W1H' and clearly distinguish between observed 'Objective Facts' (exact user quotes, vital signs) and the care worker's 'Subjective Judgments or Speculations' ('I think...', 'probably...').

User statements and complaints should be recorded verbatim using quotation marks, and records must in principle be written promptly after care before memory fades.

Because care records and face sheets contain sensitive personal information and privacy details, store them in locked cabinets in the staff room and set passwords on computers and tablets to prevent data leaks.

Posting information or photos obtained during work onto social media (SNS)—even anonymously—violates the duty of confidentiality and infringes privacy, and is strictly prohibited.

Key points


  • In care records, clearly separate 'Objective Facts' from 'Subjective Interpretations' using 5W1H

  • Record user quotes verbatim, store records in locked cabinets, and strictly prevent social media (SNS) leaks
WordMeaning
Distinguishing Objective Facts and Subjective Judgments
Accurate care recording using 5W1H
Face Sheet and Care Progress Records
Personal information protection and preventing data leaks

Shift Handovers, Service Representative Meetings, Case Studies, and Team Communication

During 'Shift Handovers' (Moushiokuri), concisely and accurately convey unusual changes in user condition and medical instructions so the next shift can continue care safely.

Practice thorough 'Reporting, Contacting, and Consulting' (Hou-Ren-Sou); when discovering near-misses or physical changes, report promptly to leaders or medical staff rather than handling them alone.

In 'Service Representative Meetings' and facility 'Care Conferences' where multidisciplinary staff discuss care plan goals and roles, care workers share the user's wishes and daily strengths observed on the floor.

In 'Case Study Meetings' (Jirei Kentoukai) aimed at examining practice cases from multiple angles, participants engage in constructive discussion to improve care quality without criticizing the presenter.

When preparing handouts for case study meetings, strictly protect personal information by anonymizing names and locations with symbols and collecting all handouts after the session.

Shift Handovers, Service Representative Meetings, Case Studies, and Team Communication

Key points


  • Keep shift handovers concise regarding status changes and practice thorough Reporting, Contacting, and Consulting (Hou-Ren-Sou)

  • In case study meetings, hold constructive discussions without criticizing the presenter, and enforce anonymization and handout collection
WordMeaning
Shift handover (Moushiokuri) and Hou-Ren-Sou (Report, Contact, Consult)
Service Representative Meeting and Care Conference
Case study meeting (Jirei Kentoukai) and constructive discussion
Anonymization and collection of case study materials

Official references