“Dear Jan, Last week a new resident joined us who doesn’t speak a word of English. She speaks Punjabi. She has lived with her daughter and son-in-law nearby for many years. They are devastated that she has had to move out of their family home. They visit her every day. It is distressing for them to see her staying in her room by herself all day every day. How can I involve her in activities when she cannot communicate with anyone? We don’t have any other Punjabi residents here. Thank you for your help.”
Cindy, Activities Manager
Hi Cindy,
This is an unsettling situation for your resident and their family. It would have been difficult to make that decision when they have cared for her for so long.
I am not sure that visiting every day is the right thing to do. The lady needs to have a period of adjustment, and I think you need to sit down with the family and talk through how they can help make the transition. Make sure this happens privately: if they become upset in front of the resident, this will cause even more distress. Reassure them that it is normal for individuals to take time adjusting. They could help by providing scrapbooks and pictures with names in both Punjabi and English to give you a starting point for communication.
How differently would you treat a lady who was profoundly deaf to someone who can’t speak English? There are lots of similarities that you can adapt for this resident.
Laminate a card with basic words, phrases, questions and answers in Punjabi and English that the staff can use – hungry, thirsty, tired, upset, happy, hot, cold, need the loo, etc.
Similarly, make a set of picture cards – food options for breakfast, drink options, etc. Encourage the resident to point to the card to begin communication.
Sit with the resident in her bedroom, smile, say her name and then say your name clearly whilst gesturing to yourself.
Learn a few simple words in Punjabi to break the ice. Write new words in a book to share with other staff. By saying hello in Punjabi, she will see that you are trying to communicate with her.
Reach out to the local Punjabi community, or her local religious leader. Ask around for a volunteer who could come in and support the resident. She would probably feel safer to leave her bedroom if she had someone with her who could help with communication. This may only be a couple of times a week to start with.
Do not try and force her to join in or go out if she doesn’t want to. Find some props that may be familiar to her that are related to her culture. You could provide books and talking books in her own language. Make sure that you make the effort to provide food that she is accustomed to eating. Sit with her and try tasting it too. You will need to persevere with one-to-one activities such as these so that you can build up trust and a rapport with the lady. Try simple crafts such as making a pom-pom. Sit with her and show her what to do by demonstrating the actions. Make sure you have asked the family for a list of things she used to enjoy doing, and use these strengths to provide simple activities that she is familiar with.
Lastly, research translation apps for an iPad. There are many free ones available, and they could be your golden ticket!
Best wishes,
Jan
Submit your own questions to Jan by emailing
