Boundaries and conditions of interpretation in multilingual and multicultural elderly healthcare

Abstract

Background: Elderly migrants who do not speak the official language of their host country have increased due t extensive international migration, and will further increase in the future. This entails major challenges to ensur good communication and avoid communication barriers that can be overcome by the use of adequate interprete services. To our knowledge, there are no previous investigations on interpreting practices in multilingual elderl healthcare from different healthcare professionals' perspectives. This study examines issues concernin communication and healthcare through a particular focus on interpretation between health professionals an patients of different ethnic and linguistic backgrounds. The central aim of the project is to explore interpretatio practices in multilingual elderly healthcare Methods: A purposive sample of 33 healthcare professionals with experience of using interpreters in communit multilingual elderly healthcare. Data were collected between October 2013 and March 2014 by 18 individual an four focus group interviews and analysed with qualitative content analysis Results: The main results showed that interpreting practice in multilingual elderly healthcare was closely linked t institutional, interpersonal and individual levels. On the organizational level, however, guidelines for arranging th use of interpreters at workplaces were lacking. Professional interpreters were used on predictable occasion planned long in advance, and bilingual healthcare staff and family members acting as interpreters were used a short notice in everyday caring situations on unpredictable occasions. The professional interpreter was perceived a a person who should interpret spoken language word-for-word and who should translate written information Furthermore, the use of a professional interpreter was not adapted to the context of multilingual elderly healthcare Conclusion: This study found that interpreter practice in multilingual elderly healthcare is embedded in th organizational environment and closely related to the individual's language skills, cultural beliefs and socio-economi factors. In order to formulate interpreter practice in the context of multilingual elderly healthcare it is important t consider organizational framework and cultural competence, cultural health knowledge, beliefs and customs.