Hi, my dad is British, 78 and has lived on his own in Spain for about 8 years, he has been in hospital for over 8 weeks, he went home for 2 days this week but went downhill fast and was re-admitted yesterday. He is in Osuna hospital. He doesn't speak much Spanish, my sister has flown out to be with him but we need a translator for when the doctors come around everyday.

I don't believe they are giving him the best care, in eight weeks they didn't feed him, only food by intravenous, they stopped this last weekend as his stomach problem had healed but didn't try to feed him actual food to see how it went through him, just sent him home on Tuesday to get on with it, he was recovering in hospital but because he didn't have food for a day or so before going home just some nutritional drinks he is now so weak he can hardly talk, he looks like he just came out of a concentration camp. The original problem is a stomach problem but he caught a deadly infection whilst in there but luckily recovered. The hospital says they don't have a translator.

My question is does he have the right to a translator, if so how do we get one?
If not how do we find one to pay, that can be there to translate when the doctors come around, how would we even do this if we don't know when the doctors coming maybe we could do it by phone?
Thank you and sorry for rambling.

As Concierge for the Spanish section of BE I would like to say hello and welcome.

BE is a very large expat website, so if you have problems finding your way around we have concierges who will try to direct you. The moderators for the Spanish forums are Mitzyboy and Fred James, moderators are there to ensure that the site runs smoothly within the rules of BE. Problems and complaints should always be addressed to a moderador who will look into the matter and deal with it efficiently and fairly. Our members who post in the Spain Forums are friendly and helpful with a wealth of knowledge of the issues of living in Spain. At the top of the page you will find a quirkily named thread called Free Beer which is full of important and useful information. Hope you enjoy your time participating in the forums.

So sorry to hear of your difficulties. My husband spent a lot of time in the hospital and we could never predict when the doctor might come in to see him so I think that you could end up paying for a translator sitting around waiting so that could end up being extremely expensive. Are there any friends who speak Spanish that you could ask to help you? I do not think that the hospital has to provide this service.

Please let me know if you need any further help.

Rosemary

There are a number of volunteer organisations that may provide the sort of help you need.
Unfortunately I don't know the area to which you refer, but I do know of some in the Costa Blanca region such as this one...

http://www.help-benidorm.com/

Maybe if you get in touch with them, they may know of similar services in your own area.

Sorry I can't be of any more help, but I do hope you manage to sort something out fairly soon.

Hi Ruth,

Sorry to hear of you plight, it must be awful for you all.

If you send me a PM I will give you my mobile number and you can call me when the doctors are around.

I will translate over the phone.

Same here, if you're near to Torrevieja.

Way down in the S.W. between Seville and Malaga.

Are you thinking of another Torrevieja? It's south of Alicante (not that I've been there). Nowhere near Malaga.

Osuna, according to the original post.

What a kind offer. Remember that she cannot PM you until she has made a couple more posts.

Rosemary

Thank you all for your replies.

How many more posts do I have to make before I can PM?

Thank you to the two people who offered to translate over the phone for me, I would like to take up your offer.

So as it's an emergency I will post a few more times here one after the other just to be able to PM you.

Posting

posting

just posting to get the right to PM
thank you

same again posting to bump my posts up to get the right to PM,
Thank you

you have more than enough now - you just have to wait for the system to update for the facility to be activated