Mallorca woman’s home carer cannot understand Catalan

On Mallorca, in Spain’s Balearic Islands, a woman receives 20 hours of home care a week but cannot make herself understood in Catalan to her carer, according to language rights group Plataforma per la Llengua. The group made the case public on Tuesday, 13 October, saying the carer neither speaks nor understands Catalan. The woman had asked on 28 May for a care worker who could understand her.

The care covers washing, help moving, medication, meals and company across five days. The group says the language barrier stops the woman meeting her basic needs normally. It calls the case a “serious breach” of her language rights.

According to the group, home care provider T’Ajuda says it cannot promise a carer with particular language skills or care in Catalan. The company says assignments depend on staff availability, how the service is organised and care needs. It said it would consider the request in future assignments, but gave no steps, deadline or alternative. The group says the problem continues.

Plataforma per la Llengua has requested information on the conditions under which T’Ajuda provides the service. It wants to know whether the company faces language requirements, what measures support care in Catalan, which Catalan-speaking carers are available and how the service is monitored.

The group has also reported the case to the Directorate-General for Care of Dependent People and People with Disabilities. The Balearic government supervises the service. The group wants the care arrangements checked and steps taken so people can be cared for by someone who understands them.

Topics: Social affairs

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com