Should foreigners speak English when working as carers for the elderly?

Question

My partner works in a residential home for the elderly, the manager continually goes to Poland to bring back polls to work as carers, most speak very little English which could put the elderly`s health at risk if they are in pain and unable to comunicate where the pain is. They must also feel lonely and isulated not being able to comunicate with people that take care of them.

Answer 1

I suggest you document specific instances when the elderly had trouble communicating with the non-English speaking care giver and the results of the language barrier.

Then you can report that to the Deparment of Social Services in your state as they license elderly care. So the government authorities can look into it and assess the implication of the situation. But they would need something to work so, so document and present it to them

Answer 2

Not all of the carers will be in that situation surely they don't all have limited knowledge of the english language. What firm is it anyway? Most firms check that they are able to communicate efficiently as part of the NVQ as they have to be assessed practically and not just a written exam/coursework.It's obviously not good if the carer doesn't speak english but I've never seen that happen before in an entire workforce. At my workplace we have one Polish lady and she was transfered. There are a lot of african and mixed race (i am mixed race) staff there which can sometimes cause the service users to be racist as things were different many years ago. I have witnessed that the Polish woman who I work with sometimes experiences abuse because some of our service users fought in the war.

I don't think a service user (elderly person) would feel isolated as there are many english speaking people to talk to with other service users and the rest of the staff. However, some residential homes now have a system where there is one carer to a 5 service users in a unit and there is a team leader who floats from unit to unit. That could cause problems but as it stands in my workplace this has never been an issue as it's 7 staff to 47 residents and they can ask for a specific carer or use the buzzer.

Answer 3

Yes they should. If your partner is unhappy and thinks there is a problem she should contact The Care Commissions Standards. How to contact them should be displayed somewhere in the home. This is not fair on the residents of the home. Communication is a big part of caring for the elderly. Also new employees into a care setting are subject to an enhanced CRB (Criminal Records Bureau ) check. How is the manager getting around this? I`m also suprised that members of the residents families have not complained. They can also complain to The Care Commissions Standards.

Answer 4

To answer this question, imagine you yourself are old and elderly, if you could not relate to what the carer was saying or her to you, do not think you would be frustrated, it is nice that we have a situation where at present we can employ them to help or old for pennies but the government should take care of them better , but what are they going to do, cut back on the finances and carer staff so there will be alot of old people without cares whether they are foreign or not , sad as it is I am an older person who may one day want a carer

Answer 5

There are Pro's and Con's to this question, but writing a as Gerontologist, here's what I think. If necessary, the caregiver should be fluently bilingual. This person has to be able to converse with the client in a language that this person understands so that the communication can be effective. This is a must do. However, the caregiver must be fluent in the language of the country she/he is working in so that in times of emergency, this person will be able to communicate well with the first responders. This, too, is a must do. Most countries in the world speak some form of English. Many, many are taught it as a second language in school. But, the fact remains that the person doing the caregiving must be able to communicate in the language spoken, by both sides. It appears from your question that you are using an Agency for In Home Healthcare. If that is the case, then this issue should be addressed with them immediately. They can and will send you Aides that speak the language. Make your wishes known to them, it's part of their job to make sure that you, the person that pays them, are satisfied with what you get If they do not comply with your wishes, change agencies, it's that simple. It is imperative that Seniors who must have In Home Healthcare be able to communicate with their caregivers. It may be a matter of life and death. So, yes, I do agree.

Answer 6

I fully agree with you
it is the unfair unkind and downright dangerous to employ carers, who can not / or will not speak English

Those who talk to each other ,in their own language, between themselves ,regardless of the needs of the patients , are being cruel and unfeeling at best .
.
I understood that carers, now need to get Trained ( NVQ)

and i would have thought that communication,with and around patients would be, of a high priority, in this qualification.

I am sure also that the Polish (or any other nationals) carers will do a great job ,
but must first, learn to communicate, with people in this country.
before, being allowed to look after vulnerable patients

Answer 7

It seems obvious to me that effective communication is essential to providing proper care to the elderly. This cant take place if the carer doesnt speak English or understand what is being said back to them. If the manager is trying to save money by bringing in cheaper labour at the expense of effective care for the elderly, he should be utterly ashamed of himself.

Answer 8

Anyone who works should speak the language of that country. Anyone working in Britain should speak English exclusively in the work place, but the same should apply to brits working abroad. In a care or customer service job this should especially be the case. These elderly people deserve to be communicated with, listened to and spoken to.

Answer 9

Well how on earth can a carer care for somebody without being able to speak to them. Not only to find out if anything is wrong but a kind word and a little chat is what most people want.

Answer 10

Yes they should be able to speak the language as they could cause some serious problems to the person they are caring for