Abstract
Little research has examined communication problems between speakers of official minority languages (patients or caregivers) and health care providers. The objective of this research was to identify the types of issues experienced by English-speaking caregivers of seniors in Quebec, as they interact with French-speaking health care providers. The majority of the caregivers interviewed indicated that they were satisfied with physicians’ interaction with the seniors they cared for. However, problems included health care providers who do not or who refuse to speak English, hospice personnel with insufficient English, anxiety about speaking to personnel in French, traveling to receive services in English, acting as an informal interpreter, receiving written documents in French, scheduling appointments through French-only phone systems or receptionists, and discrimination. The main finding is that in Quebec, language asymmetry might create additional stresses for an English-speaking caregiver, who is already likely to be stressed because of their caregiver role.
Highlights
This research originated in part with the observation in a report on the status of English-speaking seniors in Quebec, which indicated that there are relatively fewer Englishspeaking informal caregivers in Quebec, compared with the number of French-speaking caregivers (Commissioner of Official Languages, 2013, p. 23)
A report by the Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN, 2016) added that many English-speaking seniors in a caregiving role felt that their care activities limited their opportunities (p. 10). These observations led to a more general question about the experience of English-speaking caregivers of seniors in Quebec. This question may seem to be limited to a particular geographic area and language group, it is likely pertinent with respect to many caregivers who are members of a minority language community
Researchers have studied the communication issues that may arise when there is language asymmetry between a health care provider and the patient or caregiver, and this situation may contribute to communication problems
Summary
This research originated in part with the observation in a report on the status of English-speaking seniors in Quebec, which indicated that there are relatively fewer Englishspeaking informal caregivers in Quebec, compared with the number of French-speaking caregivers (Commissioner of Official Languages, 2013, p. 23). This question may seem to be limited to a particular geographic area and language group, it is likely pertinent with respect to many caregivers who are members of a minority language community. The subject of research, communication difficulties experienced by English-speaking caregivers in Quebec, is related to each of these three research areas, so it is useful to summarize key observations from each before presenting the specific results from the empirical study. Some background information is provided concerning health services and the situation of the English-speaking minority in Quebec that provides useful context for the observations. The majority of the population in Quebec (and the majority of health care providers) speak French as their first official language, and English speakers are a minority group. As we shall see, this support has its limits
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