In Orange County, California, even though there is a large population of people of Vietnamese descent, it has been difficult for elderly to receive proper healthcare due to language and cultural differences. As we all know, having family members act as interpreters is not the best option, yet often it is the only way.
An online tools aren't much better. In this article, a patient using an online translation tool while visiting her doctor found the translation was not culturally sensitive because it used a Vietnamese dialect associated with communist Vietnam. This only added to the patient’s discomfort during her treatment. There should be better plans in place. There should be live interpreters on call for such examples. What are your thoughts? Let us know!
