Communicating with patients that don't speak English

[CalidthreeN]

How do you go about communicating with and delivering care to patients that don't speak English when you also don't speak their native language? Does your facility have traslators readily available(by phone or in person), what resources do you use if any to communicate with non-English speaking patients? Do you use the family or your co-workers to communicate if they speak both lanuguages? What do you do?

[STeagueLPN]

I also have a resident in LTC that doesnt speak English. I am 99% sure shes Vietnamese and we dont have interpreters. Obviously nobody in the facility speaks her language and (Im new to the facility) I dont think she ever has family visit or call. There is a no cell phone policy so i cant use the translator on my phone to talk to her so i am thinking about taking it upon myself to make her some flash cards. I dont know how long she has lived at this facilty but it makes me really sad that nobody has even made an attempt to speak with her. I am considering learning a few Vietnamese phrases just to be able to communicate with her. She doesnt speak much but I really think its because she just doesnt bother anymore.