Care home workers poor English

On nursing visas or spouse nursing visas no doubt
It is common. I am not sure why people are surprised 😲

I have posted on this thread earlier, I've just remembered, a lady down my road who is extremely understanding and very patient with the foreign home care staff who attend her needs daily, was 'spitting feathers' yesterday when i popped in to see her.

She always has a flask of hot water, never tea or coffee. She requested this from the carer and within minutes the carer returned with the flask, my friend thought that was quick! So she said "This has been boiled from the kettle hasn't it?"

The carer replied it was from the hot water tap.

Another friend complained to me months ago about how the 2 carers that attended to her needs spoke to each other in their language above her and how it was rude and she felt invisible in her own home.

Its so sad, as i said in my previous post, its bad enough that time has arrived in their lives where they need help to do everyday things but to then face this further frustration is so very very sad.

It's not just the issue of lack of knowledge of the English language that is the problem. The carer provided for my late DH spoke good enough English but knew nothing about the lifestyle and culture in the UK (or the rich West which we are part of).
He did not know about running hot water, how to use a toaster or microwave, a vacuum cleaner or about infection control i.e. the need to wear gloves and use the sharps box. I was quite shocked that people were employed with no training at all.

There are only a few foreign workers in my care home and they do have fairly good English but they ask if they don’t understand some words.They are quite caring and liked by the residents, one old lady only relates to me as she says ‘ you’re a Londoner like me’ and we have a laugh about things.Most very old people don’t like change tho which is the main prob with care homes as staff turnover is frequent.

Germanshepherdsmum

That puzzles me too growstuff. Might the care homes sponsor their visa applications and somehow get round the rules?

Most of the Indians that work in my care home are sponsored..

That puzzles me too growstuff. Might the care homes sponsor their visa applications and somehow get round the rules?

Shinamae

M0nica

Well, a block of six weeks and then continuing 1 day a week until a high standard is reached.

The need to understand local accents and vocabulary should be a key part of any initial block of learning.

That would be absolutely excellent, but I can’t see it happening unfortunately…
We also have online training which I sometimes struggle with but managed to get through. I really can’t see how the Indians can do this when they don’t even understand basic English, but they seem to get through it. 🤷‍♀️

It would be interesting to know how they get work visas in the first place. They're supposed to have some English, even if the standard is quite low and doesn't include technical language.

M0nica

Well, a block of six weeks and then continuing 1 day a week until a high standard is reached.

The need to understand local accents and vocabulary should be a key part of any initial block of learning.

That would be absolutely excellent, but I can’t see it happening unfortunately…
We also have online training which I sometimes struggle with but managed to get through. I really can’t see how the Indians can do this when they don’t even understand basic English, but they seem to get through it. 🤷‍♀️

Well, a block of six weeks and then continuing 1 day a week until a high standard is reached.

The need to understand local accents and vocabulary should be a key part of any initial block of learning.

It depends on the starting point. Most people granted a work visa should already be at Level B1. To reach Level B2, learners need 180-260 hours of learning, which would be very difficult to achieve in six weeks. Languages are learnt best little and often.

TBH, I'd need language lessons if I had to work in certain parts of the country.

It is normal that many staff do not understand in English in care settings

But that kind of gesturing is a normal part of life, and will be happening anyway.

But again if the purpose of this is to help people in care understand care workers with a poor command of English, then we are dealing with the problem from the wrong end.

When foreign workers come over they should do a compulsory course, lasting, probably 6 weeks that brings them up to a high standard of english, including understanding the local accents and phraseology of the area they will work in. they should also learn about the lives these people would have lived, the work, the television and so on. This should be paid by the employer sponsoring them.

This would make employers more careful about which workers they bring over and their base command of English.

Caleo

Re Makaton for old people in care. Sure the situation is not that somebody sits down an attempts to teach anyone anything whatsoever. Flexible care is making best use of what is to hand . Makaton's basic medium is gesture, and you don't have to buy the whole shop ,you can improvise.

many people in care can still see a teapot , a tea bag or a mug. Why not point to whatever you want to suggest if moveable? You can demonstrate wiping your nose, sitting down , having a wash. Smile and nod .

That's what I meant about communication. It could be anything - mime, gestures, pointing, cards. I guess the important thing is that people aren't ignored and attempts are made to communicate.

I've been on the other side of this. When I was a student, I worked in an old people's home in Germany. My German was pretty good, but obviously not perfect.

I was working in the kitchen and we'd run out of pickles. I had no idea where they were in the storeroom and I didn't know what the German for pickles was, so I had a think and thought of the word "preserves", so I asked where the "Präservativen" were. Little did I know that this was a German word for condoms.

Re Makaton for old people in care. Sure the situation is not that somebody sits down an attempts to teach anyone anything whatsoever. Flexible care is making best use of what is to hand . Makaton's basic medium is gesture, and you don't have to buy the whole shop ,you can improvise.

many people in care can still see a teapot , a tea bag or a mug. Why not point to whatever you want to suggest if moveable? You can demonstrate wiping your nose, sitting down , having a wash. Smile and nod .

THE LASS BEFORE YOU DIDNT KNOW HOW TO MAKE ME A FLASK OF BLOODY TEA ..

Need for a lightweight booklet with nothing but simple coloured drawings, no text,of common needs e.g. milk being poured into a mug: Tea in a mug : lavatory pan : lady or man on a commode: Toilet paper: Lady or man washing face etc. : a person having a shower: telephone: hearing aids: spectacles : false teeth: bed: television: Knife and fork: spoon and dish: towel: person being given a bath or shower: and so forth.

Care Homes are screaming out for staff and I speak from personal experience when I say that Care In The Home Agencies are in a similar position. Councils limit the amount of hours they will pay if you stay in your home so getting help is a nightmare. My daughter is still waiting for help in her area (over 12 months) as agencies say they have no availability. It is a crisis even with the poor English speaking staff we have.

But GSM, do you honestly think that there are 150,000 people with fluent English just sitting around waiting to be employed as care assistants? Even if the wages were to be increased substantially, is there any guarantee that these people would be suitable for caring work?

If visas were to be cut for people from abroad with proven good caring skills, we'd end up with nobody. The only solution is to make the best of the situation we're in and improve the language for specific purposes skills of the people we already have.

All my working life has been in care. The wonderful ladies and gentlemen that we went to complained on a daily basis that they couldn't understand a word they said and visa versa and 1 chap wouldn't allow them over his threshold so obviously no carer... no help. I TRIED to talk to him but he was having none of it.

Then 1 time I entered the home of an adorable lady and was greeted by THANK GOODNESS ITS YOU, THE LASS BEFORE YOU DIDNT KNOW HOW TO MAKE ME A FLASK OF BLOODY TEA .... she was referring to the language barrier not the process..... i could go on and on regarding the matter and I have scratched my head wondering how on earth they pass the interview.

It is so sad that people reach a stage in their lives where they need help with everyday tasks, that is heartbreaking to see but to then have the distress and upset of the language barrier is allll too hard to bare.

It’s appalling to suggest that someone who has lost the power to communicate effectively should learn an alternative means of communication for the benefit of carers whose English is inadequate. The carers may be kind people with the best of intentions but they need to be able to understand the needs of their patients, be they physical needs such as a drink or going to the loo or emotional needs such as some level of conversation even if they can’t speak. I despair at the use of foreign carers who can’t understand or be understood and have no idea of the patient’s culture and things they held dear when younger. Should we really be giving such people (and I don’t say that with malice or in a racist way) visas rather than encouraging our own people to be carers, with better pay and conditions? See Shinamae’s post above - the sort of carer we would all want for ourselves or our loved ones.

I agree with M0nica too.
Although people with Alzheimer's may not lose the power of speech even in later stages, what they are saying, often to themselves, may be incomprehensible to others. How would they be expected to learn a new language when they are having difficulty making sense of the world around them anyway?

I have used and taught Makaton for people with learning disabilities which is what it was developed for. I wouldn't dream of using it with the people with dementia at the care home I volunteer at. It never even crossed my mind until I read it on this thread. I agree wholeheartedly with M0nica

I have dealt with people in my own family who had dementia, a childles aunt and uncle who lived near me. I was also a vounteer Home Visitor with Age Concern, now called Age UK, for over 10 years and met people with many forms of dementia.

OldFrill

BSL is developed (not exclusively) for the deaf. Makaton more (but not exclusively) for the hearing. They are not in competition. This can be misunderstood.
There are over 200 dementias. Some people can live with dementia for many years and medication is promoting this.For them the decline is slow and they are open to developments that may help them in the future. Makaton fits for some people. In some cases of dementia where the body and brain are deteriorating at different speeds then the body deteriorates faster than the brain so to talk, to write is physically impossible but to point, to indicate is possible.
As I've said before, Makaton is fluid, it can be adapted to the individual. They may only need to utilise a tiny part of the whole.
People on this thread have said they are/have used Makaton with those living with dementia and it's been beneficial. I have seen it benefiting those living with dementia. That, to me, is worth more than any academic paper, and l find it highly frustrating that you extol words rather than action.
I wish you well.

Yes, I prefer properly researched academic papers to random, anonymous people on a social media site.

A number of people on this thread have already pointed out why Makaton is not a good solution for all those with dementia.

I don't have much experience of people with dementia, although my children give me regular updates about what's happening with their grandmother (my ex's mother). However, I am a trained language teacher. Teaching a language involves understanding how people learn languages. I have also studied language acquisition (including children with SEN), so have some idea how the brain works when acquiring language. Dementia isn't just a reversal of language skills. As some have said, language is often retained until the end of life - it's something more fundamental which is causing problems.

I do so agree with that, Monica. Suggesting that people with dementia learn a new language is making communication the dementia sufferers problem, when in fact it’s a carer problem.

Our friend with dementia has spoken barely a word for three years, does not recognise a single person, is doubly incontinent, has to be fed and for much of the time when awake has their eyes closed. They also have no body or spatial awareness. Good luck teaching a new language to them.