The “Ostomy Dictionary“ – a useful support for ostomates in foreign countries
It’s over 30 years ago when several young ostomates from different European countries (delegated by their national ostomy associations) held a conference in Frankfurt, Germany. During the discussions, they had the idea to finish the conference with a practical result. As a lot of young ostomates like to travel in other countries the young delegates recommended it would be very helpful if – in case of emergency like the loss of appliances during a flight or health difficulties during a journey – one would have the correct terms for special ostomates’ needs in a foreign country.
So the group started to collect the most important ostomy related words and to translate them into English. Then every delegate took the list back home and sent back the translation into the language of his country. So, after a short time, the first little dictionary was produced – 103 words in about seven languages. But that was only the beginning …
The dictionary had been published and updated by Deutsche ILCO since the beginning. Meanwhile the 103 terms had been translated into 24 languages (even arabic). The current version was published in 2022.
You can find translations from English to Greek and Polish to Turkish. It has even been translated into Arabic. And it is still growing!
Deutsche ILCO permits EOA to publish the ostomy dictionary on the EOA website, so it can be used by all ostomates who are interested. We know that this dictionary does not only make sense for ostomates travelling to or living in foreign countries. It can also be helpful for doctors and caregivers who work with people from abroad.
If you find any errors, or if you would like to add further languages, please contact the EOA contact office, c/o Deutsche ILCO – National Office. E-Mail: ilco.ilco-praxis@outlook.de