Limited Communication

I am currently completing my final practical placement in an international facility, working primarily in a neurological setting but also other areas as the opportunity arises. I have found there to be challenges that are somewhat unique here, as a result of both cultural and language barriers. For instance, the younger population are taught three langauges, with English being one of them. However as most of the neuro patients are older, this is not the case in the vast majority of the patients with English being very uncommon. It has been possible to get by using the few words that I have learnt of the native language, or with the aide of staff and family members (who regularly sit in and watch the treatmet, something you need to adjust to). I have found that this is an environment where the need for non verbal communication is greatly stressed. Given that neurological patients can present with impaired cognition, confusion or forms of dysphasia, it has not been so different to my earlier neurological placement. Facilitation with hands on contact is still extremely effective, as is the select use of specific words so as not to confuse the patients. The patients affect also becomes extremely important, as without a translator, some verbal communication is not as meaningful as the way it is said, or the patients non verbal cues.
Admittedly, it is much harder to communicate with patients who speak differing languages, as you cannot specifically ask for certain symptoms, hence it would be a nightmare in Musculo, but I have not found that the language barrier has been to hard to cross with neurologicla patients.