Reading Skills for Healthcare Workers

Rosa is a certified nursing assistant who works as a home health aide. Many of her clients are elderly and have numerous health issues. Today, Rosa is visiting Mr. Sahal. He is an older man who lives with his daughter.

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While his daughter is working, Rosa checks on Mr. Sahal. He has a hearing impairment, so he cannot hear very well. He wears hearing aids in his ears. Rosa rings the doorbell of the house. Inside the house, the bell rings loudly and a light goes on that Mr. Sahal can see. He can hear the doorbell very faintly, but when he sees the light, he is certain someone is at the door.

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When Rosa is inside, she asks Mr. Sahal how he is feeling. She talks loudly and clearly, but she doesn’t yell at him. She wants him to understand her, but she knows that he is sensitive about his hearing impairment. He tells Rosa, “My back and my leg hurt a little.” He uses body language and gestures to demonstrate where he feels slight pain.

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Rosa checks his back and his leg. She helps him take his medications. She makes sure he has enough to eat and drink. When she is talking to Mr. Sahal, Rosa stands in front of him so he can see her mouth and lips move. That helps him to better understand what she is saying.

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Rosa reminds Mr. Sahal to let her know if his hearing aid battery is low. If the battery is low, he will not be able to hear at all. He tells her that the battery is working fine. Mr. Sahal is hard of hearing, but he is still able to communicate well with people, especially his daughter and Rosa.