“The staff are fantastic – they all work so hard. Everyone is welcoming and helpful” – Sally Waters, patient
Providing high quality, accessible healthcare services that are responsive to the needs of the community.
Eastern Health Directory
We provide support and training to staff to meet the needs of clients from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. For more information about the service and (free) downloadble translations refer to Eastern Health Transcultural Services.
Download the Eastern Health bilingual cue cards, for patients and visitors:
The cue cards are used internationally by over 15,000 agencies including the healthcare sector, hotel services, airlines, language schools, childcare centres, pharmacies and universities. It was first released in April 2007 and is downloaded up to 20,000 times every month. The initiative received a commendation at the Victorian Health Care Awards in 2007.
The cue cards can be downloaded as a complete package in the required language and this is available in either 20 or 4 images per page layout. The best way to use this tool is to laminate it and store close to a client requiring the cue cards. You can picked the relevant categories for their sector from the package or you can create individualised communication boards.
Follow these steps to create individualised communication boards for clients using only the images you require in your every day practice :
You can manipulate the images to the size you need on the Cue Cards document you are creating. Be careful when cutting and pasting translated text – ensure the version you have created looks exactly like the original text.
The cue cards were trialled by community members who had English language difficulties and persons with cognitive and vision impairment in a number of settings.
These trials included community members in countries where English is not predominantly spoken or it is not the individual's first language.
A formal survey was undertaken by agencies who used the resource in late 2009,
Accredited translators were used and the documents were cross-checked by independent accredited translators.
The categories were selected by professionals from a number of sectors across Australia dealing with clients or carers with communication difficulties. They provided lists of the most commonly used words in their day-to-day practice that could easily be communicated through pictures.
The images were selected by community members with English language difficulties from over 25 language groups. They agreed on the images they thought best represented the meaning of the word to be conveyed.
Community members were involved at every phase of the development, including decision making about the images used and input into the translation process, testing and their accessibility. In addition to this, industry groups were consulted about the selection and inclusion of the categories.
There are two versions available, one with four images and another with twenty images per page. After trialling the resource with the stakeholders it was found that the four images per page were more effective for persons with cognitive and vision impairment. You also have the option to create your own individual version, outlined in the previous sections.
In the trials conducted, it was found that the reinforcement of the image with the translation was useful, although most of the images were universal and understood without the accompanying translation.
After extensive trials and speaking with the community it was decided not to phoneticise the translated words for English speakers due to the following reasons,
We also recommend avoiding this form of communication.
No, because the resource was designed to be made available free of charge and to be accessible for anyone to use, cue cards are only available for download on the Eastern Health website. This is the easiest and most cost effective way of distributing them.
We recommend that the cue cards are printed in black and white for older community members and people with vision impairment.
It was decided by the community members that the graphics for the cue cards should follow the universal signage for objects and actions as these are more commonly used in the world.
These graphics are simplified and animated images that are generally accepted and also easily understood by various language groups.
It took Eastern Health over four years to develop and refine the and another nine months to get consensus on the final translations.
Due to the success of this resource we are working on new category additions to the existing cue card and we are regularly making new languages available.
The cue cards are available in over 65 languages. If there is a language you need that is not available please put in a request with Eastern Health Transcultural Services manager, Lena Dimopoulos (E) lena.dimopoulos@easternhealth.org.au
Eastern Health’s second annual Aspire to Inspire (A2i) Awards, celebrating the extraordinary contribution of staff across our organisation, were announced during a special ceremony on May 15.
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Midwives are there from the very start and often they are the first people we come into contact with at birth. However, their role goes far beyond the birth suite; from sharing a mother’s journey through pregnancy to the joy of watching babies develop into young children.
The first of April is no laughing matter for staff across Eastern Health as they mark April Falls Day – an initiative to raise awareness and improve patient safety.
Box Hill Hospital has become only the seventh hospital in Australia to receive the prestigious International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs) Care Award.
Non-English speaking patients will have improved access to food in hospital, thanks to a project led by dietitians at Eastern Health.
DonateLife Week 19-26 February 2012
Tertiary students may hold a key to increasing organ and tissue donations worldwide, a new study by Eastern Health and Deakin University’s Nursing Research Unit has found.
Eastern Health has an exciting opportunity for local residents to be part of a new research project.
A new device that provides instant feedback from patients during their hospital stay has been rolled out across Eastern Health as part of a suite of innovative methods to improve care and services.
Capital works have begun to accommodate an additional five sub-acute beds at Angliss Hospital.
After an over-indulgent festive season, it’s no surprise the popular New Year’s resolution to lose weight continues to kick on into 2012.
After 20 years of exploring the local and surrounding areas of Box Hill, Eastern Health’s Walkabout Group has come to an end.
When Margaret Tabacchiera was told she had secondary cancer, she never considered her treatment might actually be enjoyable.
Talking about the importance of detecting cancer early has never been more comfortable, with the picturesque Yarra Ranges providing the perfect backdrop for two free forums aiming to alleviate the fear associated with pap tests and breast x-rays.
Palliative care professionals are easing the burden of a life-limiting illness for people in the east with innovative programs that improve their quality of life.
Eastern Health rolled out the red carpet for the inaugural Aspire to Inspire (A2i) Awards that recognise the outstanding contribution of staff across the health service.
"Before I started here I was ready to walk under a bus, but now I am gardening, exercising, cooking – I feel like I have my life back" – cancer survivor on the Ambulatory Oncology Rehabilitation Program.