Résumés
Abstract
Considering that French is the dominant language in Quebec, that relatively few francophone providers of health and social services are able to speak English, and that English-speaking older adults (OAs) have low levels of bilingualism, anglophone OAs are more likely than their francophone peers to face language barriers when accessing health and social services. However, little is known about the strategies English-speaking OAs put into place to overcome the difficulties encountered due to language barriers when they access these services. We therefore aimed to document the strategies used by English-speaking OAs when, due to language barriers, they faced difficulties in accessing health and social services. We conducted a qualitative case study with ten English-speaking OAs in the Eastern Townships in Quebec. Through interviews and document reviews, we collected data which we then analyzed thematically. We identified seven strategies used by English-speaking OAs: investigating for health- and access-related information in English, creating their own services, entering the health and social services system offered in French, entering the health and social services system with help from others, putting the responsibility of overcoming the language barrier on the provider, splitting that responsibility, and taking on the responsibility. Our results highlight a potential burden associated with the involvement of the English-speaking community in enabling English-speaking OAs to access health and social services.
Keywords:
- access,
- health services,
- social services,
- official language minority,
- language barriers,
- strategies
Résumé
Les personnes âgées d’expression anglaise (PAEA) du Québec sont à risque de rencontrer des barrières linguistiques, considérant le pourcentage élevé de dispensateurs de services sociaux et de santé qui ne parlent pas anglais et le niveau élevé d’unilinguisme des personnes âgées d’expression anglaise. Toutefois, les stratégies utilisées pour surmonter les difficultés d’accès aux services sociaux et de santé liées à la barrière linguistique sont méconnues. Nous documentons donc les stratégies utilisées par les personnes âgées d’expression anglaise pour faire face aux difficultés causées par la barrière de langue qu’elles rencontrent lorsqu’elles accèdent les services sociaux et de santé. Nous avons mené une étude de cas qualitative auprès de dix personnes âgées d’expression anglaise en Estrie et analysé les données recueillies (entretiens, documents) thématiquement. Nous avons identifié sept stratégies : investiguer pour obtenir des informations, créer ses propres services sociaux et de santé, entrer dans le système de services sociaux et de santé en français et avec l’aide d’autres personnes, laisser a responsabilité linguistique au dispensateur de services sociaux et de santé, partager les responsabilités et prendre cette responsabilité. Nos résultats soulèvent des inquiétudes par rapport au fardeau vécu par la communauté anglophone concernant le support informel qu’elle offre pour permettre aux PAEA d’accéder aux services sociaux et de santé.
Mots-clés :
- accès,
- services de santé,
- services sociaux,
- minorité de langue officielle,
- barrière linguistique,
- stratégies
Parties annexes
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