Voluntary interpreting service Schorndorf
A sensitive topic, but one that is really important in the everyday life of a paediatric practice - and above all for the health of the children concerned. What do you do if the parents of a (sick) child don't speak German or barely speak it?
There are always situations in the practice where we don't have a good feeling about caring for a child because we don't know enough about the child and/or can't judge whether the details of the planned therapy will really reach the parents. That's why it's really important to talk about this topic.
Important background: There are efforts to actually anchor qualified interpreting in the healthcare system. There are many countries where this is already the case, here in Germany it is still a dream of the future, but at least under discussion.
We therefore appreciate all the more that we have a voluntary interpreting service in Schorndorf. The town provides information online, and there are also videos in various languages. There are now volunteer interpreters here for more than 20 languages. We should publicise this great service even more so that the families who need it know about it.
In legal terms, this is perhaps not quite the same as qualified interpreting, but until we eventually have that, this service provided by the town of Schorndorf is really of great value. For us in practice and especially for the children, of course.
Links:
Information and booking: www.schorndorf.de/dolmetscherdienst
Explanatory videos in various languages: www.schorndorf.de/de/stadt-buerger/engagement-soziales/integration-migration/dolmetscherpool/erklaervideos
Further interesting tips
Blood test
Parents keep asking if we would like to do a blood test on their child. There are two main things to say about this.
Truancy
A really difficult topic today - but one that has been taking up more and more space in paediatric practices in recent years. And that's why it's important to discuss it here: It's about truancy.
Hives
The technical term is urticaria, the common word is nettle rash. This is appropriate because the children look as if they have fallen into a bed of nettles.