Check Your Understanding Answer Key
BENEFITS OF PEER SUPPORT
What is a peer support visitor?
- All of the above
- A person who listens to you
- A person who provides support
- A person who offers advice
What are the settings where peer support can be offered?
- Private home, Nursing home, Hospital, Online
- Hospital, nursing home, pharmacy
- Online only
- Nursing home, phone, email
What is the benefit of peer support
- Peer support can help with cure the person’s illness
- Peer support can be used to improve short term goals
- Peer support can help people stay off treatment, increase hospital use, and decrease independence
- Peer support can build a person’s self-confidence, sense of empowerment, and ability to function
CHARACTERISTICS OF PEER VISITOR
When a peer visitor is open to new ideas they are competent in flexibility and adaptability. When they respond from an equal and sharing point of view they are demonstrating a competent demeanour. A peer visitor who listens with empathy and without judgment is demonstrated competency in communications. Peer visitors who consider the outcomes of their actions are demonstrating critical thinking.
ETHICS
Peer visitors exercise power to direct the person they are visiting to do what they know is best for the person.
- True
- False
Peer visitors are able to respond emotionally and/or spiritually to what the other person is saying.
- True
- False
Peer visitors may share their stories as they relate to the challenges of the person they are visiting.
- True
- False
SUPPORTIVE COMMUNICATION
Raised eyebrows signal discomfort.
Eye contact shows interest.
Crossed legs are a sign of low receptivity.
Shaking leg signals anxiety.
Voice rising or lowering suggests interest.
Open arms signal approachability.
COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Which of these is NOT a part of active listening?
- Give advice.
- Encourage the person to talk.
- Use empathy.
- Look at the person.
What is the first step to active listening?
- Give feedback.
- Ask questions.
- Grunt and nod
- Look at the speaker.
Which of the following is a sign of active listening?
- Being totally silent while someone else talks.
- Changing the subject.
- Interrupting or talking over someone.
- Paraphrasing or summarizing what someone has said.
Which of the following behaviours are part of active listening?
- Nodding and making eye contact.
- Maintain eye contact.
- Asking for clarification.
- All of the above.
CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION
Which one of the following is NOT a way to make cross-cultural communication more effective?
- Use humour
- Avoid slang
- Keep it simple
- Be polite
PHASES OF RECOVERY
Persons with amputation follow the phases of recovery in sequence.
- True
- False
Not everyone reaches the highest level of recovery.
- True
- False
Role modeling by the peer visitor is key at the enduring phase of recovery.
- True
- False
COPING
Which of the following are signs that someone is not coping?
- Finding it hard to think clearly.
- Joining a support group.
- Feeling restless and agitated.
- Not wanting to talk or be with people.
- Setting goals for the coming month.
- Researching the best prosthesis for them.
- Lack of energy or feeling tired.
DURING THE VISIT
Which of the following were NOT “good” peer visitor practices?
- Assisting Marie to the washroom
- Remaining after Marie shows signs of fatigue
- Sitting in a chair at the bedside
- Not checking at the front desk
- Arriving late
- Asking Maria if she’d like another visit
- Speaking for 15 minutes
- Asking Marie whether she would like more information
- Arriving harried
AFTER THE VISIT
Correct order for the steps for a peer visit:
- Determine the type of visit required: home, hospital, phone or other
- Make the initial contact to schedule the visit
- Gather any information required for the visit
- Conduct the visit
- Schedule follow-up visit or activity as requested
- Evaluate the visit
- Report the visit if required
GRIEF, DEPRESSION, ANXIETY AND QUALITY OF LIFE
Depression is associated with decreased use of prostheses and poorer self-rated health.
Depressive symptoms include increased fatigue.
As a peer visitor you can help them by letting them know you are there.
Grief differs from depression in that it diminishes over time.
Persons with upper extremity amputations have higher levels of anxiety than those with lower extremity amputations.
Symptoms of anxiety include nervousness .
Depression and anxiety are correlated with poorer quality of life.
SUICIDE
Talking about suicide openly is dangerous. It often plants the idea in a person’s head.
- True
- False
Discussing suicide openly is one of the most helpful things you can do. It shows you are taking the person seriously and that you care.
Suicide usually occurs out of the blue – without any warning.
- True
- False
80% of the people who die by suicide give some warning. This is one reason for becoming familiar with the warning signs.
Feeling suicidal usually means you are mentally ill.
- True
- False
SEXUALITY
Skin hunger is the desire for physical touch.
- True
- False
The desire for physical touch is referred to as skin hunger.
Physical touch does not affect our hormones.
- True
- False
It can result in hormones that boost mood.
Intimacy is always physical.
- True
- False
It does not have to be physical. Sharing thoughts and feelings in one on one conversation with another person is intimate.
Open conversation with a peer visitor can remove the fear of returning to physical intimacy.
- True
- False
