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Table 3 Frequency of response categories defined by communicative function as described in VR-CoDES- Provider Response

From: The use of supportive communication when responding to older people’s emotional distress in home care – An observational study

Emotion-focused responses (n = 304)

Content-focused responses (n = 203)

Ignoring or blocking responses (n = 131)

 

n (%)

 

n (%)

 

n (%)

Back-channel

N-E, PS

“Mm”

107 (35)

Information-advise

N-E, RS

“I will just put on this here, and wrap this around”

75 (37)

Ignoring

NE, RS

(Overlook the concern/cue)

114 (87)

Acknowledgement

N-E, PS

“Right”

100 (33)

Content exploration

E, PS

“Oh, no, did it break just outside, here?”

51 (25)

Shutting down

N-E, RS

“Well then”

16 (12)

Implicit Empathy

N-E, PS

“I understand”

36 (12)

Information-advise

E, RS

“Oh, no, this job is not so bad”

42 (21)

Active blocking

E, RS

“I will not comment on that, but I don’t experience it as being that bad”

1 (1)

Active invitation

N-E, PS

“How do you mean?”

35 (12)

Content acknowledgement

E, PS

“Yes, so it was you who had to clean up afterwards, yes”

29 (14)

Affective acknowledgement

E, PS

“That is troubling”

13 (4)

Switching response

E, RS

“Yes, we can, and that will be no extra for us because we also visit your neighbour”

6 (3)

Affective exploration

E, PS

“You don’t like them?”

10 (3)

Empathic response

E, PS

“Of cause you miss her, I can understand that”

3 (1)

  1. N-E Non-Explicitly referred to the concern/cue
  2. E Explicitly referred to the concern/cue
  3. RS Reduce Space for further disclosure of the concern/cue
  4. PS Provide Space for further disclosure of the concern/cue [30]
  5. “..” Examples of responses found in the material