PAGE 26 | THE CARER | JAN/FEB 2022
Lost In Translation: How Carers Can Improve Communication with Patients with English as an Additional Language The UK is made up of a vibrant mix of ethnic groups meaning that carers face challenges with communicating with those who don't speak English as their first language. How do these language barriers affect care and what translation services are on offer to support communication? Joe Miller, general manager of the Americas and Europe, Pocketalk (uk.pocketalk.com) looks at the issues that the care industry faces and the solutions on offer to help.
A GROWING DIVERSE NATION The latest stats on immigration show that there are now 9.5 million people living in the UK who were born outside of the country and are therefore highly likely not to speak English as their first language. Of these 11 per cent are over 65 meaning there are around one million people in the UK, approaching retirement age or retired, who were born in another country. As a result, it’s important that carers are aware of the challenges that can arise consequently for both the patients and their loved ones.
WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES? Patients who have neurodegenerative diseases or are hard of hearing can already experience difficulties with verbal communication. When you add in the additional factor of English being a second language for some of these patients, communication becomes even harder. Ineffective communication leads to confusion, frustration and upset from the patient and staff members. It makes it harder for patients to form relationships with staff and other residents in a care home setting. If a patient can’t converse with others it can lead to feelings of isolation and loneliness as they struggle to connect. With dementia it becomes even more complex. Alzheimer’s Society found that as the disease progresses it's often the case that those who speak English as a second language revert to their first language.
CURRENT TRANSLATION SOLUTIONS Ideally those who speak English as a second language will have someone who can always communicate with them in their first language. However, practically it can be impossible to always have a staff member on duty who can translate 24/7. One of the most popular ways to address this is the language line which provides access to translators over the telephone, who are available 24/7, and with calls answered within minutes it’s a convenient service. However, a telephone can cause confusion for some. Others may also feel uncomfortable having sensitive conversations with a person they don’t know over the phone. Translation agencies have team members who are available to visit care homes or accompany carers to home visits. But this service carries high costs making 24/7 access to translation not possible for many. The pandemic has also meant restrictions on visitors can impact this service.
CAN TECH BE A TRANSLATOR? One solution being explored by the care industry is the use of technology and the cost-effective role it plays in addressing the issue. Google Translate is one platform that has been utilised that facilitates instant translation between patient and carer. That said, there are issues with the effectiveness of the translations. It doesn’t offer a high standard across all languages and it’s often those who speak minority languages that are most impacted by the disconnect. Google Translate also doesn’t always take into account regional dialects and slang. Today there are digital translation devices proving to be a great success in care homes. These devices instantly translate a large amount of languages and tend to just need WiFi, mobile data or a hotspot. Digital translators are also an effective way to help build relationships. We’ve found that digital translators foster meaningful conversations that allow carers to bond with the patient, which helps to create trust. It also allows patients to converse with other residents. Of course, when it comes to language translation there is no one size fits all approach. Each care home, its team and residents will have different and individual needs. At a time when English as a second language is becoming more commonplace it’s great that there are options available to make conversation easier for both carer and patient.
Covid Won’t Stop these Glasses Raising as Residents say Cheers in Home’s Pub Residents at a Cassington care home have been enjoying the British culture of ‘pub nights’ and making the most of drinking in their onsite pub. Churchfields Care Home built their public house two years ago at the residents’ request. Residents mentioned they wanted somewhere ‘cosy to sit’, enjoy a drink and also to socialise. The drinking hole is open all day and residents can order any drink they like, at any time. This comes as more care homes are now being urged to open onsite pubs after staff have revealed they boosted residents’ morale during lockdowns, according to carehome.co.uk. Churchfields Activities Coordinator, Faye Tanner, said; “Resident’s love to use the area to socialise, chat with friends and relax. When families visit
the residents, they often use the area to play cards, board games or dominoes. “The bar is a central part of the home, and it is used by everyone. For us, it is extra special because it was built and designed around our residents' requests. It’s become even more valuable now because of the pandemic and we are able to bring the atmosphere of the pub into the home, in a safe environment.” Care homes have been particularly hit by the pandemic, forcing many to close their doors to visitors for large periods of time. This has led to increased internal entertainment, with one in four staff saying their care home had created or enhanced their pub during lockdown. The research carried out by the UK’s leading care home reviews site, carehome.co.uk, found 53 per cent of care home staff who have pubs in their care homes say the wellbeing of residents was boosted when they socialised in the home’s pub or drinking facility. One fifth of care workers said residents used the pub on a daily basis. Jane Roberts, owner of Churchfields Care Home, said: “At Churchfields Care Home, our values are centred around residents having a sense of purpose, to live well, and to find enjoyment. This is supported by ensuring residents have a choice every day on how they want to spend their time. The on-site bar is a great way for our residents to enjoy each other’s company and to experience the atmosphere of going to the pub, in a safe environment.”
New Study Predicts the Number of People Living With Alzheimer’s Disease to Triple by 2050 A new study has revealed that global dementia cases are set to triple by 2050 – an estimated 153 million people will be living with dementia by 2050. On 6 January, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) published a study on dementia prevalence forecasts in 204 countries in The Lancet: Public Health. The study estimates that 57 million people were living with dementia globally in 2019, a number expected to rise to 153 million by 2050. The authors acknowledged that this was similar to data published by ADI in the World Alzheimer Report 2019. The study also reinforces the disproportionate burden that dementia places on women, also highlighted in the ADI report on Women and Dementia (2015). While these increases are predominantly attributed to global population growth and population ageing, the authors also explore four known risk factors for dementia: smoking, obesity, high blood sugar and low education, and highlight how they may impact these future estimates. Global improvements in access to, and quality of, education are predicted to reduce the dementia prevalence by 6.2 million.
However, this benefit is likely to be counteracted by anticipated increases in obesity, smoking and high blood sugar, leading to an additional 6.8 million people living with dementia. The authors conclude that the future implementation of risk reduction policies could have a significant impact in reducing these prevalence forecasts. As well as risk factors, the study also explores the future geographical regional burden of these increasing forecasts. The greatest increase in the prevalence of those living with dementia is expected to occur in sub-Saharan Africa and north-Africa, where the number of those living with dementia is expected to increase by 357% and 367% respectively. Poignantly, the African region remains the only World Health Organization (WHO) region where none of its Member States have a national dementia plan. Country level prevalence data for 204 countries is included in the study. On the study, Paola Barbarino said: “This data highlights the severity of the public health crisis of dementia and the alarming consequences of inaction. Dementia is already the 7th leading cause of death globally. We welcome the authors’ call for the urgent deployment of tailored
interventions to combat risk factors, alongside the need for increased research into effective disease-modifying treatments and new modifiable risk factors.” In practice, this means more public health campaigns at national and regional level. Too many people still do not know that they can change their lifestyle and make a difference. For decades, ADI, the WHO and the dementia community at large have been calling for governments to act to avert a public health crisis. Every three seconds, someone develops dementia. Time is running out and the time to act is now. ADI hopes these findings will highlight the need for governments to adopt funded national dementia plans. In 2017, all WHO Member States unanimously adopted the Global action plan on the public health response to dementia, agreeing to implement national dementia plans, which include risk reduction strategies (action area 3) and commitments to funding research and innovation (action area 7). Currently only 37 member states have implemented such plans and this study acts as a timely warning for those who are yet to act. As we move to the next stages of our campaign to encourage governments
