BETTER COMMUNICATION AND IMPROVED HEALTH FOR PARTICIPANT WITH SEVERE ASTHMA

When our Jobs 22 Health Coach, Helen Sirrell, met with a non-English speaking Italian participant with severe asthma, they were determined to help her find a better way to manage her condition and enjoy a better quality of life.

Our Health Coach, Helen Sirrell, attended the Lincoln office to complete a triage assessment for an Italian lady who could not speak English. The participant was referred to our health and wellness team because her asthma was so severe, it had become a barrier to work. During the assessment, it became clear there was a communication problem between her and her husband (who was translating for her). They were both understandably frustrated by the situation and struggling to relay the correct instructions because of the language barrier.

The participant had an obvious chest infection and was out of breath, and she was also complaining of chest pain. She had been prescribed antibiotics but had not taken them correctly and still had ten tablets left. Our Health Coach Helen recalls, "While talking to her, it soon became clear that she didn't know how to use her inhalers correctly or which one to use, so they weren't effective."

Due to the chest pain and chest infection, Helen signposted her to A&E, where she had blood tests and an ECG and received advice about continuing to take antibiotics.

Helen then gained her consent and phoned her surgery to raise concerns regarding her inhaler use and understanding of asthma with the pharmacist. The pharmacist agreed to see her and review her technique to ensure her inhalers were appropriate and teach her how to use them effectively. They planned to do this with a translation line rather than relying on her husband.

Our Health Coach, Helen then contacted the participant at home, and both she and her husband were very grateful for the support and help they had received. Now the participant's health is being properly cared for, our team in Lincoln are able to support her in her job search and hope to be able to find a role that will fit her needs soon.