Multilingualism among residents and staff

Many who work in elderly care are multilingual. In parts of the country, there are also accommodations with a linguistic focus. One such is Persikan, which is focused on residents who have Persian as their mother tongue. Most common are Finnish-speaking elderly homes. For those who receive care and who do not understand the language, the operation may need to book an interpreter. The right to an interpreter is written in the health and medical care law and the administrative law. When it comes to private operations, the right to an interpreter is often also written in the contract that the operation has with the municipality.

It is not uncommon for the care to let a relative interpret. This can be tricky. Partly it may be that the elderly do not want to tell everything to their relatives, and partly it may be that the relative may not translate everything completely correctly which can lead to misses in communication. A formal interpreter has a responsibility to translate what is said in a correct way.

Special Interpreters

There are interpreters with special knowledge such as knowledge in medical terminology but these are very few. There are also special interpreters who can interpret sign language for the deaf. If the interpreter is not authorized for medical interpretation, it is important that the conversation is conducted in ordinary Swedish and that the operation avoids technical terms. Authorized interpreter is a protected professional title, unlike interpreter.

Interpretation can take place via telephone and on site. In the largest immigrant languages, they can usually be booked even at short notice. For sensitive conversations, an on-site interpreter can be essential. The interpreter should translate and convey everything that is said in the room. Confidentiality applies and the interpreter must also be impartial and neutral to what is said.

There are also deaf interpreters and interpreters for example deaf-mutes.

Reflection - Interpreter
Care staff:
- Do you have residents who have another mother tongue and who may have difficulty understanding what you say or to make themselves understood?
- How do you handle this in everyday work?

Manager, nurse, occupational therapist and physiotherapist:
- Do you have routines to book an interpreter when needed?
- How does it work with interpreting in the operation?
- Are there any difficulties associated with the need for an interpreter?

Residents and relatives:
- Do you have a relative who would need an interpreter?
- How does the operation handle this?

Erland Olsson
Specialist nurse
Sofrosyne - Better care every day