At Palomar Medical Center Escondido, we want to work with you to make communicating easier. If you need help communicating, let your nurse know right away.

If you don’t speak English or need to speak in another language, we will make every attempt to provide a certified interpreter for you and your visitors. We have staff members trained to provide interpretation in Spanish. We also have over-the-phone interpretation that works through a two-handset phone. Both methods connect you and your health-care team member to an interpreter who can pass on messages to you in your preferred language.

Please let our staff know if you have difficulty reading or understanding the written information we are giving you.

Here are some other ways you can receive health information:

1. Ask your doctor or nurse these three questions can help you better understand how to care for your health:

• What is my main problem?
• What do I need to do?
• Why is it important for me to do this?

2. Use pictures, drawings, maps and videos.

3. Involve family members.

Sign-language services are available to help you if you are hearing impaired. Your nurse will also work with you to communicate through other methods. A teletypewriter (TTY) or Big Button phone with a hearing-aid adapter and volume enhancement are also available. These can be delivered to your room. Please tell your nurse if you would like one.

For sight-impaired patients, we have Big Button phones with large keys and raised numbers, Braille, and volume enhancement for handset, speaker phone and ringer. If you would like a Big Button phone in your room, please tell your nurse.

• Interpreter Language and Hearing Services Procedure
• Interpretation Services