When working in an LTC in Ontario that is mostly Francophone, the knowledge of French language is the only way you can communicate with some patients/residents. Some residents at my institution refuse to be cared by people who are English, because they have particular needs that they cannot communicate in English to an English healthcare worker. Being able to provide care in a language your patient can understand helps them feel safe, it also helps the workers in feeling confident to work with these primarily French peoples. I could definitely provide more examples of how providing French services to French patients can help with their healing and care, but the most important thing I could portray is, that everyone deserves healthcare that they can understand, including in a language they understand.
