Tailoring Therapy To Patient Needs – A Language Lesson

By Judy Spafford, Physical Therapist

We often receive admissions of patients who are Hispanic. To better meet their needs and provide more comprehensive rehabilitation, the therapists in our department decided to educate ourselves in the Hispanic culture. To do so, we all participated in a one hour continuing education course provided by PESI, entitled:

Introductory Survival Spanish for Healthcare Providers

In addition, we each researched an aspect of the Hispanic culture, specifically customs and traditions, food, favorite past-times and illnesses that may be prevalent in the Hispanic community. We learned simple phrases,  greetings and frequently used words such as ” Mi nombre es” to introduce ourselves and “dolor” to describe pain. We trust that by becoming more educated, we will have a better insight and be able to communicate effectively which will carry-over into the overall rehabilitation process. We plan to continue learning more Spanish with ongoing language courses readily available.