First, let me apologize for this soapbox but this may help someone else out there and help me get this off my chest. Both my parents and my aunt are deaf. My dad has been deceased a number of years after 18 years on dialysis. Between the 3 of them I have spent many, many days and nights in the hospital in Laurens, Greenwood and Greenville. I have been their interpreter since I was a child in every possible setting. Sign language is really my first language. Ive been called from lawyers offices, court rooms, Social Security offices, etc to come interpret for a deaf person and have done lots of church interpreting. Most doctors offices verify that Im coming before they make appointments. I worked at the South Carolina School for the Deaf and did my student teaching there. Ive taught lots of sign language classes, including one for education students at PC. I even offered to teach a class for the nurses at Laurens hospital a few years ago. Greenville Hospital System has adopted a rule that family members cannot interpret sign language or any other language for a patient any longer. The problem with a stranger as an interpreter is they do not know the family history, past experiences, emotional state, intellectual ability or physical condition of the patient and usually go a little overboard, in my opinion, with explanations, etc. This is especially a problem with elderly patients who arent even as familiar with the new signs. Weve already had a bad experience in a GHS doctors office with my aunt which forced us to find a non GHS doctor. Weve been here In Laurens Hospital (now GHS) since Friday with no problem, but, alas, today the interpreter has arrived. I understand that the hospital is protecting themselves from lawsuits, etc. which is the primary motivation of everything a hospital does...but I still think there needs to be some common sense and each patient treated on a case by case basis. My mom wrote a note yesterday that she wants her daughter to interpret but Ive been notified that the interpreter will be here via media whenever the doctor comes in and during discharge. I have always been a supporter of the Laurens Hospital and I spent 2 weeks here when my son was born with complications. Ive always encouraged people to stay in town and consider our county hospital. I love the people who work here, without exception, and I appreciate everything they have done to make my mom more comfortable. I actually like the new hospitalist system since a doctor is always here and they have all been awesome and very attending. But Im afraid I am disappointed that our hometown hospital has lost its hometown touch with some of the new protocols and especially in adopting this interpreter policy. I just called Self Memorial to see what their policy is and they said they allow family interpreters if the person seems capable of doing the interpreting. Sounds like a reasonable plan to me! Done!
Posted on: Thu, 24 Jul 2014 15:14:45 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015