Medical interpretation for nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities
Opalite gives nurses, aides and therapists real-time interpretation in 150+ languages and dialects at the bedside, med cart and care conference, with no wait.
Today's challenge
What gets in the way of interpretation in nursing homes today
Dressing changes on a meter
A per-minute line bills every minute of a slow pressure-wound dressing change.
Staff interpreting after a fall
After a fall, a bilingual dietary aide relays the resident's account of hitting her head.
No Hokkien match on admission
The vendor has no Hokkien interpreter for a resident admitted from the hospital on a Friday evening.
Cost of inaction
Language interpretation remains a gap in nursing homes
42.6%
of patients with limited English proficiency went to a skilled care facility after joint replacement at one urban academic center, versus 20.5% of English-proficient patients.
Meet Opalite.
Real-time AI medical interpretation in 150+ languages and dialects, connecting providers and patients in seconds.
- Works on the devices care teams already carry: phones, tablets, computers, and telehealth platforms
- Integrates with all EHRs
- Built for HIPAA-compliant healthcare
- SOC 2 Type II attested security controls
Workflow
How Opalite fits the stay
Daily care
Med pass, meals, personal care, call-light requests
Available 24/7 on every shift, with no scheduling and no charge for idle time
Assessment
MDS interviews, pain and mood checks, wound care
Two-way spoken interpretation, with Guardian checking every sentence in real time.
Therapy
PT, OT and speech sessions, home exercise teaching
The same app in the gym or the resident's room
Clinical use cases
Interpret the conversations that matter most
MDS resident interviews
EnglishOver the last two weeks, how often have you felt down, depressed or hopeless?
SpanishEn las últimas dos semanas, ¿con qué frecuencia se ha sentido decaído, deprimido o sin esperanza?
The med pass
Chinese (Mandarin)这是什么新药？我以前从来没吃过粉红色的。
EnglishWhat is this new pill? I have never taken a pink one before.
Night-shift distress
EnglishAre you in pain, feeling sick to your stomach, scared, or do you need the bathroom?
Arabicهل تشعر بألم، أو بغثيان، أو بالخوف، أو تحتاج إلى الذهاب إلى الحمّام؟
Therapy sessions
EnglishDo not bend your hip past 90 degrees, and keep both hands on the walker.
SpanishNo doble la cadera más de 90 grados y mantenga las dos manos en la andadera.
Care plan conferences
EnglishYour mother can walk 50 feet with the walker now. We plan discharge home in two weeks.
Chinese (Mandarin)您母亲现在扶着助行器能走50英尺了。我们计划两周后让她出院回家。
Success metrics
How you'll know it's working
Interpreted encounters by shift. Count them per resident per week for proof of night and weekend coverage.
Ad hoc interpretation. Family or bilingual staff should interpret less often after rollout.
Total interpretation spend. Compare it per facility and unit with prior vendor invoices for scheduled interpreters and phone lines.
Pricing
Pricing for skilled nursing and long-term care facilities
Three shifts, one predictable rate. A flat rate scoped to your facilities, units or overall usage covers med passes, call lights and care conferences with no per-minute meter.
In your area
25.5 million people in the U.S. speak English less than “very well.”
How many live near you? Search your state, ZIP code, or town.
Darker states have a higher share of residents who speak English less than very well; shading is logarithmic, relative to the highest-share state.
| State | Share | People |
|---|---|---|
| California | 17.2% | 6,377,000 |
| Texas | 13.1% | 3,532,000 |
| New York | 13.1% | 2,486,000 |
| New Jersey | 12.2% | 1,060,000 |
| Florida | 11.8% | 2,389,000 |
| Hawaii | 11.2% | 152,900 |
| Nevada | 11.1% | 320,200 |
| Massachusetts | 9.5% | 631,900 |
| New Mexico | 8.7% | 172,700 |
| Illinois | 8.5% | 1,027,000 |
| Connecticut | 8.4% | 288,200 |
| Rhode Island | 8.4% | 87,250 |
| Arizona | 8.1% | 542,400 |
| Washington | 7.6% | 547,600 |
| Maryland | 7.1% | 411,700 |
| Virginia | 5.8% | 469,000 |
| Colorado | 5.5% | 295,600 |
| Georgia | 5.4% | 541,600 |
| District of Columbia | 5.4% | 34,600 |
| Oregon | 5.4% | 214,100 |
| Nebraska | 5.1% | 93,560 |
| Delaware | 4.9% | 45,460 |
| Utah | 4.7% | 140,000 |
| Kansas | 4.5% | 124,100 |
| Minnesota | 4.5% | 239,600 |
| North Carolina | 4.5% | 439,200 |
| Pennsylvania | 4.4% | 544,000 |
| Alaska | 4.3% | 29,650 |
| Oklahoma | 3.8% | 142,200 |
| Idaho | 3.7% | 62,850 |
| Iowa | 3.4% | 100,800 |
| Michigan | 3.4% | 318,900 |
| Arkansas | 3.2% | 90,380 |
| Indiana | 3.2% | 200,900 |
| Tennessee | 3.1% | 197,500 |
| Wisconsin | 3.0% | 164,200 |
| Louisiana | 2.8% | 123,500 |
| South Carolina | 2.8% | 132,700 |
| Ohio | 2.5% | 281,500 |
| Kentucky | 2.4% | 101,800 |
| New Hampshire | 2.4% | 31,410 |
| Missouri | 2.1% | 123,000 |
| Alabama | 2.1% | 98,720 |
| South Dakota | 1.9% | 15,800 |
| North Dakota | 1.9% | 13,810 |
| Wyoming | 1.8% | 9,923 |
| Mississippi | 1.6% | 44,870 |
| Maine | 1.4% | 18,140 |
| Vermont | 1.3% | 7,705 |
| Montana | 0.8% | 7,731 |
| West Virginia | 0.6% | 11,060 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS (states 2017-2021; metros 2024 or 2020-2024). Limited English: residents 5+ who speak English less than “very well.”
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Explore
Specialties in skilled nursing and long-term care
Related
See Opalite in your facility.
Try a live bedside conversation and a family video call in your residents' languages.