Cultural Issues

Hello all,
So this week on my cardio prac I treated an older women from a country somewhere in the sub-continent. Reading over the notes prior, I discovered she spoke nil english. I wanted to get a complete chest review done on initial consult and was concerned how I would go about it in light of not only the language barrier but the different cultural/ religious background. I thought momentarily, and fondly, of the lab way back when -where a certain Canadian red-headed gentleman tried to teach another student something in Spanish...golden.
So I was having pretty good luck ascertaining the bulk of my chest questioning... via some creative hand gestures. I was then needing to auscultate. Seeing how she was almost entirely covered with scarfs and clothing, I thought this was gonna be tricky. But she was actually super cool and, while preserving all modesty, we ventured to complete a comprehensive chest Ax.
When I realised her ++SOB and audible expiratory wheeze was limiting any ACBT's that I had in mind (to ensure she had effective airway clearance), it was decieded to give her a neb first. Again all I had to do was show her the neb mask and she understaood exactly what was to happen.
I guess that one good thing, in terms of physio, with pts. that have COPD, is that they are often old pros at the Ax and Rx that happens in hospital. And also our assumptions about how much of a impact cultural differences will have on physio interventions is ultimalety more up to that individual. Thanks for your attention and best of luck in all your final assessments. Matt