An adult Deaf patient with Spanish-speaking parents requests an interpreter for the parents, but none has arrived. What should the interpreter do?

• A. Interpret for the parents
• B. Proceed to interpret for the Deaf patient
• C. Refuse
• D. Call for a Spanish interpreter for the parents

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is that the interpreter’s responsibility is to ensure the Deaf patient has full access to information and participate in the encounter, not to translate for family members who are not the patient. In this situation, the Deaf patient relies on you to relay what the clinician says, so you should continue interpreting for the Deaf patient to preserve their ability to understand, ask questions, and make decisions. If the parents also need interpretation and no Spanish interpreter is yet available, your role is not to translate for the parents in addition to what the patient needs, but to keep focused on the patient’s communication while notifying the staff that a Spanish interpreter is needed for the parents and helping arrange one. This maintains professional boundaries and prioritizes the patient’s access to information; asking you to interpret for the parents would blur roles, and while arranging a separate interpreter for the parents is appropriate, the immediate, best action is to keep interpreting for the Deaf patient.