Ibland känns det nästan som ett övergrepp - en studie om språkets betydelse i omsorgen för invandrare med demens som bor på särskilt boende

Abstract

Purpose/aim: My purpose is to illustrate the significance of the language in communication with immigrants having a different native language, who suffers from dementia. The three main questions have been: How important is the native language in the communication with immigrant who suffers from dementia? What consequences can happen for the immigrant who does not understand Swedish? How can we use the salutogenesis point of view to create satisfactory care for immigrants who has difficulties to make them self understood in the Swedish language?

Material/method: I made qualitative interviews with staff working in nursing homes with dementia care. I also searched scientific articles and other findings in this area of science.

Main results: The best care for immigrants with dementia is nursing homes where the staff speaks the immigrant’s native language. Municipal nursing home does not always provide this kind off service for the immigrant especially if it’s only a few immigrants. That’s when we need a plan B. The dementia care for immigrants in municipal nursing homes is often self-taught by the staff and is seldom taught outside the nursing home. Some of the staff in my study wanted to learn more and get information how to handle immigrants with dementia. The native language for the immigrant is of great importance for the simple reason that they lose the ability to speak the language in their host country and that is an effect of the dementia. We need the native language for the immigrants if we want to give them a satisfactory care and not just store them until they leave us. If we use the salutogenesis point of view the native language is of importance in creating meaningfulness for the immigrant especially when they lost the host country’s language due to dementia. My suggestion for a plan B is a folder with the most common needed words and phrases and pictures in the care of people with dementia.