Suffolk community dentists show off their Makaton skills
A group of dental professionals from Suffolk has been showing off its Makaton skills. Three dental nurses and a dentist from Community Dental Services have been learning Makaton to enable them to communicate better with patients who have learning difficulties and those who struggle to communicate.
The dental service is the first in the country to be classed as ‘Makaton friendly’ by the Makaton charity. The scheme is designed to reward and raise awareness of businesses and services that use Makaton to make users feel more comfortable and confident.
Many of the patients that use Community Dental Services in Suffolk have learning difficulties, and the team has found that using alternative communication methods benefits patients and makes them feel more comfortable in clinical settings. Now that the team of four has mastered the art of Makaton, they are teaching their colleagues, who will soon be able to communicate using Makaton signs too.
Amy Schiller, operations director, said that it’s important for the team to think about the best ways to communicate with patients, especially those who have trouble hearing or expressing themselves through speech. Makaton enables better communication between those who are trained and patients who use Makaton at home, and it makes the service more accessible to a wider range of patients.
Makaton Friendly coordinator, Sarah Drew, said that she was “thrilled” to award the service the Makaton Friendly status in recognition of the training efforts and accomplishments of members of the Suffolk CDS team.
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