The Experiences of Native Irish speaking Older Adults Navigating Healthcare Services.

Language discordant care exists in rural Gaeltacht areas. Bilingualism does not completely mitigate language barriers in Gaeltacht area healthcare settings, as some HCPs are neither fluent in English nor Irish. Opinions around the use of interpreters are mixed. All participants expressed the value of direct communication between patient and provider. This study highlights the need for language concordant care to be available for native Irish speaking older adults living in rural Gaeltacht areas, and further emphasises the importance of language concordant care for minority language speaking populations. The findings of this study provide an insight into the lives of native Irish speaking older adults navigating the healthcare system and contribute to understanding an underserved patient group.