Barriers to good communication

Rhwystrau rhag cyfathrebu da

care worker and senior woman

Whichever way we choose to communicate, we must try to ensure that individuals who are receiving information can fully understand it and respond. But there may be times when a message is misinterpreted because barriers to the communication process have not been addressed. These barriers might include:

  • environmental
  • language
  • sensory loss
  • cultural.

At times, communication barriers can be created when individuals misunderstand messages. For example, it can be easy to misinterpret a letter, telephone call, text message or email, because these types of communication don’t contain any body language to support and reinforce them. Being able to communicate face to face can provide visual clues of what information is being communicated.

Sut bynnag y byddwn yn dewis cyfathrebu, rhaid i ni geisio sicrhau bod unigolion sy'n derbyn gwybodaeth yn gallu ei deall yn llawn ac ymateb iddi. Ond gall fod adegau pan gaiff neges ei chamddehongli am nad ymdriniwyd â rhwystrau sy'n effeithio ar y broses gyfathrebu. Gallai'r rhwystrau hyn gynnwys:

  • amgylcheddol
  • iaith
  • colli synhwyrau
  • diwylliannol.

Ar adegau, gall rhwystrau rhag cyfathrebu gael eu creu pan fydd unigolyn yn camddeall negeseuon. Er enghraifft, gall fod yn hawdd camddehongli llythyr, galwad ffôn, neges destun neu e-bost am nad yw'r dulliau cyfathrebu hyn yn cynnwys unrhyw iaith y corff i'w ategu a'u hatgyfnerthu. Mae cyfathrebu wyneb yn wyneb yn cynnig cliwiau gweledol o’r wybodaeth sy’n cael ei chyfathrebu.

Environmental barriers

Rhwystrau amgylcheddol

Doctor speaking with patient and relative

A health and social care environment can be noisy and distracting sometimes. It is important that health and social care workers know this and work to reduce any background noise to a minimum. It is also important that the worker ensures that the care environment is easily accessible, and that the placement of the furniture encourages individuals to interact with each other.

Arrangements should be made to have quieter spaces to promote effective communication when necessary. It is also important that the worker ensures that the environment is freely accessible. This will not only encourage conversation between individuals but will also enable them to socialise.

Fe all amgylchedd iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol fod yn swnllyd a gall fod yn anodd canolbwyntio ynddo. Mae'n bwysig i weithwyr iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol wybod hyn a gweithio i leihau unrhyw sŵn cefndir cymaint â phosibl. Mae hefyd yn bwysig bod y gweithiwr yn sicrhau bod yr amgylchedd gofal yn hygyrch, a bod lleoliad y dodrefn yn annog unigolion i ryngweithio â'i gilydd.

Dylid gwneud trefniadau i gael mannau tawelach i hyrwyddo cyfathrebu effeithiol pan fo angen. Mae hefyd yn bwysig bod y gweithiwr yn sicrhau bod yr amgylchedd yn hygyrch. Bydd hyn nid yn unig yn annog sgwrs rhwng yr unigolion ond yn eu galluogi i gymdeithasu.

Language and cultural barriers

Rhwystrau ieithyddol a diwylliannol

Language and cultural behaviours that may hinder the communication process:

Ymddygiadau ieithyddol a diwylliannol a all lesteirio'r broses gyfathrebu:

Language and cultural barriers

Rhwystrau ieithyddol a diwylliannol

Think about a time when you were on holiday or speaking to a person whose first language was not English.

How did you feel?

What changes did you make to your method of communication?

Meddyliwch am adeg pan oeddech ar eich gwyliau neu'n siarad â rhywun nad Cymraeg na Saesneg yw ei hiaith gyntaf.

Sut roeddech chi’n teimlo?

Pa newidiadau a wnaethoch i'ch dull cyfathrebu?

Sensory impairment

Nam ar y synhwyrau

Doctor on a home visit

Health and social care workers can support individuals who have visual impairment by making sure that their eyesight is tested regularly, that their spectacles are clean and worn properly, and that their possessions are kept in the same, familiar place. An individual could also learn the correct way to guide and assist a partially sighted person while they are walking and find out what visual aids are available.

Carers can support individuals with hearing impairment by making sure their hearing is tested regularly, that their hearing aid is clean and worn properly, and that the battery is not flat. A carer can also learn the correct way to replace a hearing aid battery.

Gall gweithwyr iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol gefnogi unigolion sydd â nam ar y synhwyrau drwy wneud yn siŵr bod eu golwg yn cael ei brofi'n rheolaidd, bod eu sbectol yn lân ac yn cael ei gwisgo'n gywir, a bod eu heiddo'n cael eu cadw yn yr un lle cyfarwydd. Gallai unigolyn hefyd ddysgu beth yw'r ffordd gywir o dywys a chynorthwyo rhywun rhannol ddall wrth gerdded a dysgu pa gymhorthion gweledol sydd ar gael.

Gall gofalwyr gefnogi unigolion â nam ar y clyw drwy wneud yn siŵr bod eu clyw yn cael ei brofi'n rheolaidd, bod eu teclyn clyw yn lân ac yn cael ei wisgo'n iawn a bod y batri'n gweithio. Gall gofalwr hefyd ddysgu'r ffordd gywir o osod batri newydd mewn teclyn clyw.

Overcoming barriers to communication

Goresgyn rhwystrau rhag cyfathrebu

female support worker on a home visit

As a health and social care worker, it is important to make sure the physical environment is quiet, well lit, warm and comfortable. It is also important to know and understand how children and young people need to communicate and use a form of their own preferred communication. If appropriate, the individual may wish to use communication aids or human aids such as advocates, interpreters, translators and signers.

Health and social care workers should speak clearly, use appropriate body language and actively listen to show that they are interested and are trying to understand what they are being told. It is also important that they check that the individual understands them correctly, and that they can confirm that the message has been understood by asking the individual to relay back what was said.

Workers need to become familiar with the needs of individuals who have different cultural beliefs. They need to ensure that they are well informed of cultural practices and also how to support an individual to communicate in their preferred language, making every effort to provide resources and adapt communication methods to meet individual needs.

Fel gweithiwr iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol, mae'n bwysig sicrhau bod yr amgylchedd ffisegol yn dawel, wedi'i oleuo'n dda, yn gynnes ac yn gyfforddus. Mae hefyd yn bwysig gwybod a deall sut mae angen i unigolion gyfathrebu, a defnyddio dull cyfathrebu a ddewisir ganddynt. Os yw'n briodol, efallai y bydd yr unigolyn am ddefnyddio cymhorthion cyfathrebu neu gymhorthion dynol fel eiriolwyr, dehonglwyr, cyfieithwyr ac arwyddwyr.

Dylai gweithwyr iechyd a gofal cymdeithasol siarad yn glir, defnyddio iaith corff briodol a gwrando'n weithredol er mwyn dangos bod ganddynt ddiddordeb a'u bod yn ceisio deall yr hyn sy'n cael ei ddweud wrthynt. Mae hefyd yn bwysig iddynt gadarnhau bod yr unigolyn yn eu deall yn iawn ac eu bod yn medru cadarnhau’r neges trwy ei hadrodd yn ôl.

Mae angen i weithwyr ddod yn gyfarwydd ag anghenion unigolion sydd â chredoau diwylliannol gwahanol. Mae angen iddynt sicrhau bod eu gwybodaeth am arferion diwylliannol yn dda yn ogystal â gwybod sut i gefnogi unigolyn i gyfathrebu yn eu dewis iaith. Bydd angen iddynt wneud pob ymdrech i ddarparu adnoddau ac addasu dulliau cyfathrebu i ddiwallu anghenion unigol.

Overcoming barriers to communication

Goresgyn rhwystrau rhag cyfathrebu

Mark has limited communication as he has a hearing impairment.

What approaches can you use to communicate with Mark?

Mae gallu Marc i gyfathrebu yn gyfyngedig gan fod ganddo nam ar y clyw.

Pa ddulliau allwch chi eu defnyddio i gyfathrebu â Marc?

Suggested response: Speak clearly, slowly, distinctly, but naturally, without shouting or exaggerating mouth movement, face Mark directly, say Mark’s name first to gain his attention, keep your hands away from your face so Mark can see what you are saying.

Ymateb awgrymedig: Siaradwch yn glir, yn araf, yn amlwg, ond yn naturiol, heb weiddi neu orliwio symudiad y geg, wynebwch Marc yn uniongyrchol, dywedwch enw Marc yn gyntaf i gael ei sylw, cadwch eich dwylo oddi wrth eich wyneb fel y gall Marc weld yr hyn yr ydych yn ei ddweud.