Care organisations need to be aware of the language needs of clients and provide interpretation services when necessary. These may include
- Language interpretations for people who don’t speak English as their first language.
- A specialist trained to work with a client who has a speech problem and help family members understand what client is trying to say.
- Have a speech therapist available to help clients overcome their speech difficulties.
Advocacy
Advocates can provide representation and information on behalf of a client. Where the client is unable to handle knowledge his/her self an advocate can become the holder and user of knowledge for them.
Clients like Jim with speaking difficulties can sometimes find it impossible to express their needs, wishes and rights effectively. This is due to a disability or they may just be too frightened to speak up for themselves and say how they feel or ask for what they want.
The advocate is usually a carer, family member or it could be someone who understands the client’s beliefs and is able to communicate them to the workers.
As far as possible, workers aim to promote self-advocacy encouraging clients to be more independent and develop skills where they will be able to express themselves and make their own decisions. Self advocacy depends totally on the disability of the client.
As Jim finds it quite hard to talk it makes it difficult for people to understand what he is saying sometimes. One way professionals have tried to solve this problem is by teaching Jim and his family members some sign language. Sign language is used by people who are hard of hearing and for people like Jim who have speech impairment. Sign language is a language which uses lip patterns, combining hand shapes and facial expressions to express a client’s feelings and thoughts.
Below is an illustration showing the alphabet for sign language
Meeting people with speech difficulties
A client with a speech difficulty may cause embarrassment and frustration on both sides:
- When talking with a person with a speech impairment be patient and encouraging and pay full attention
- Do not correct or finish the person’s sentences. Wait quietly for the person to finish what they are saying
- Where possible ask short questions that require short answers
- Never pretend to understand what the person said. Repeat what you understood and the person’s reaction will guide you
