CONSUMER DIRECTED COMMUNICATION€¦ · above [non-professional interpreters] have been required. 2 Sometimes depending on the relationship between the client and the interpreter

A d o l f o G e n t i l e , A d v a n c e d T r a n s l a t o r ( N A A T I )

M a r y G u r g o n e , F o r t i s & N A A T I D i r e c t o r

CONSUMER DIRECTED COMMUNICATION:

NEW INTERPRETER CHALLENGES for CALD*

AGED CARE SERVICE PROVISION* Culturally & Linguistically Diverse (CALD)

Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre 3 August 20171

http://www.fit2017.org/

© Fortis Consulting© Fortis Consulting

PURPOSEExplore the use and efficacy of T/I

Services within aged care

providers in Australia, within a

Consumer Directed Care

framework.

2

The study is based on a survey of professional interpreters as well as

family carers and bilingual staff performing interpreter/translator roles.

This presentation reports on the first phase of the 3-phased project.


© Fortis Consulting© Fortis Consulting 3

AUSTRALIA: Cultural and Linguistic Diversity

(2016 Census)

TOTAL POPULATION Approx 24 million

Speak Languages Other Than English at

Home21%

Number of Defined Languages 300

65 years + in age 3.5 million (1 in 7)

http://www.abs.gov.au/websitedbs/censushome.nsf/home/quickstats?opendocument&navpos=220



AGED CARE IN AUSTRALIA

4

▪ Aged care – a time of

unprecedented change

▪ Move to Consumer

Directed Care – more

CHOICE and

CONTROL

▪ CDC can only work if

consumers are

INFORMED


© Fortis Consulting

TRANSLATING AND INTERPRETING SERVICES

Government-funded T/I Services for

CALD aged care providers to:

• Negotiate the Home Care

Agreement

• Co-design the care plan and

individualised budget

• Discuss consumer’s monthly

income and expenses statement

7/3/2017 5


© Fortis Consulting 6

EMERGING SECTOR CONCERNS

▪ CDC incurs additional costs

Humanitarian entrants pose

additional language challenges

▪ Communication around CDC and

individualised budgets

▪ Efficacy of using non-professional

interpreters and translators


http://www.fortisconsulting.com.au/partners-in-culturally-appropriate-care/

© Fortis Consulting© Fortis Consulting 7

PHASE 1:

Data gathering

Initial exploration of use and efficacy of T/I Services within aged

care providers

PHASE 2:

Interpreter follow-up

Critical reflection of Phase 1 data

involving professional interpreters

PHASE 3:

Action

Participatory action emerging from

outcomes of Phases 1 & 2

PROJECT PHASES


© Fortis Consulting

PROVIDER DATA GATHERING

7/3/2017 8

Setting –

Perth, Western Australia

Survey & discussion with providers of

Home & Residential aged care services

Approximately 50 informants,

mainly provider senior management



FINDINGS

T/I Services are provided by:

▪Professional Interpreters (by Phone and Face-to-face)

▪Bilingual staff

▪Family friends and carers

Providers spread fairly evenly with a slight tendency

to family friends and carers

7/3/2017 9


© Fortis Consulting© Fortis Consulting7/3/2017 10

COMMENTS1 We advertise that

information is available and promote interpreter service use, however to date only the above [non-professional interpreters] have been required.

2 Sometimes depending on the relationship between the client and the interpreter the Kimberley Interpreter Service is not appropriate especially for personal topics such as continence or if the client feels ‘Shame’ at the interpreter knowing their business.



FINDINGS

T/I Services are used for:

▪ Planning individual client care plans

▪ General communication with clients

▪ General communication with family carers

▪ Communication about specific client problem

7/3/2017 11


© Fortis Consulting7/3/2017 12

COMMENTS

Being in a regional centre, there are not currently any registered on-site interpreters available.

It is always family interpreters where we have no access to professional interpreters in communities.



FINDINGS

Problems encountered with T/I Services were spread across:

▪ Cost of professional interpreting

▪ Cost of producing materials in other languages

▪ Providing translating and interpreting in appropriate languages

▪ Communicating technical/medical language

▪ Communicating aged care changes

▪ Specific language-related dementia issues

7/3/2017 13



COMMENTS

We do not always use translated materials because most of the elderly people cannot even read their own language as they never had

formal education.

Technical language and medical term can be

simplified where appropriate.

All these issues are always a problem.



FINDINGS

The following translated materials were generally found to be useful:

▪ Government brochures produced in different languages

▪ Translated materials found on the internet

▪ Translated provided by a service provider

▪ Signs in different languages used in residential facilities

▪ Pictures and symbols to communicate

7/3/2017 15



COMMENTS

Written translated information is a starting point to explain further in person to a client, but usually not sufficient by itself.

Culture plays a part in how information or a service is taken on by a client and their family.

Most of our clients are not literate although they may be fluent in three or four different Aboriginal languages.



FUTURE TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENTAL

NEEDS

▪ Addressing specific language issues with older CALD clients

▪ How to use professional interpreters

▪ How to use carer/family members as interpreters

7/3/2017 17



COMMENTS

For some issues relating to elderly people it is better

to use professional interpreters or bilingual

workers, as families cannot always discuss very personal or embarrassing issues about their elders and may not be familiar

with the language or terms used themselves.

Family members are usually not used as

interpreters as they may not understand the

information themselves and convey mixed or wrong information.

We need to have interpreting for Aboriginal

languages included & funded with all

mainstream service provision.



For Discussion

19

How to meet everyday requirements for aged care

language services and the impossibility of servicing all

with professional interpreters?

How to ensure the use of interpreters incorporates

interpreter briefing as part of a quality improvement

mechanism?

What role (if any) for family members as interpreters in the face of

long-standing research enumerating the negative consequences of such

practice?



CLOSE

20

12.00pm


Documents

CONSUMER DIRECTED COMMUNICATION€¦ · above [non-professional interpreters] have been required. 2 Sometimes depending on the relationship between the client and the interpreter