There are, as there is in many fields, models of care, treatment regimes, care pathways and approaches, but in the end what matters? In the end it always comes down to the person who is being cared for and the person providing the care, and what matters more than anything is ‘trust’!
Can I trust the person to treat me with dignity and respect?
Can I trust the person to keep me safe?
Can I trust the person with my life when I can no longer trust myself to do so?
So what is ‘trust’, according to the Oxford Dictionary ‘it is a firm belief in the reliability, truth or ability of someone or something.
So, are you reliable? Are you truthful? Are you capable?
In Health & Social Care we deal with people who due to their circumstances are ‘vulnerable’, the individual undergoing surgery has put themselves in the hands of the Surgical Team. Their family has to place their trust in the team. The elderly person with the diagnosis of dementia is in the hands of those who care for them and needs to know that they can trust their carers. There are many, many more examples of the times when people place their trust in other people, when we place our trust in other people, and are grateful when that trust is respected. But, when that trust is broken…..!
So, how does it make us feel when that trust is broken? How does it make that elderly person feel when they have been let down?
It can provoke the feelings of distress, fear, anger, confusion, frustration, anxiety, irritability, loss and of being exploited.
It can cause disturbed sleep patterns, withdrawal, isolation, aggression, disorientation, avoidance and loss of hope.
It can alter how people see us, if we are the ones who are untrustworthy people may become disappointed in us, angry with us, avoid us, no longer be able to rely on us, they may withdraw their collaboration, stop using our services, spread the word about how bad we are..!
Being trustworthy builds confidence, it builds our own self confidence and it builds the confidence of others in us. Trust may be broken unintentionally or intentionally, either way it will impact on the relationship, if it was unintentional then the road to restoration may be easier, but their will still be road to travel.
So, are we reliable? Are we truthful? Are we capable?
We can only answer that individually.