ENGLISH FOR NURSING

ELDERLY CARE

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Once you have completed the module, you’ll be able to:

 Read aloud the reading text,

 Identify the answer of reading comprehension questions,
 Find and define the specific terms, and
 Modify present progressive sentences into affirmative, negative, and
interrogative sentence.

VOCABULARIES AND PRONOUNCIATION

Direction. Practice the following pronunciation. Repeat each word for three times.

1. Medicine /ˈmedəsən/ (n) : obat-obatan

2. Demand /dəˈmand/ (n) : permintaan, tuntutan
3. Skill /skil/ (n) : keterampilan
4. Companionship /kəmˈpanyənˌSHip/ (n) : perkawanan, pertemuan
5. Comfortable /ˈkəmfərdəb(ə)l/ (adj) : nyaman
6. Interesting /ˈint(ə)rəstiNG/ (adj) : menarik
7. Return /rəˈtərn/ (v) : mengembalikan

READING ALOUD
Direction. Read aloud the dialogue below.

Elderly Care
As a result of modern medicine finding new cures and treatments for illnesses
and diseases which used to be incurable, a new challenge has presented itself
in the form of an aging population. The increase in the number of people living
into their 80s, 90s and beyond has led to a greater demand for professional
eldercare workers and geriatric specialists.

If you are considering a career in either of these specialties, there are a few
things you should know.

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Working with the elderly, whether in a hospital setting, a hospice or
in residential care can be incredibly rewarding but it takes a special skill-set
to cope physically and emotionally. On the physical side, care workers need to
have the strength to turn bedridden patients so as to avoid the patient
developing bedsores and to help infirm patients to the bathroom when
needed, while also being aware that patients who are suffering
from osteoporosis must be moved in a careful manner. Whereas from the
emotional side, all care workers need to be able to connect with their patients
and offer them companionship.

Although it may seem that companionship is less important than physical care,
the truth is very different. In fact patients in residential care, may only
have interaction with their care workers and it is this interaction which helps
to keep cognitive functions working correctly. This is especially true in the
case of patients with dementia, who need regular conversation and company
to help hold back the signs of this condition and with family members often
living far from them, this duty is assumed by the career. If the family live
closer, a career can be faced with another challenge as often the next of kin and
the patient do not agree on the best course of care, which can lead to additional
stress on the patient.

As well as the more common duties like monitoring and administering

medication regimens, a care worker also needs to feel comfortable in a
variety of duties from bathing and grooming through to changing bed sheets
for the incontinent, and all the while bearing in mind that for their patients
these activities can be degrading. It is common for elderly patients to suffer
from functional disability, in which they are unable to carry out a certain
action - even though, they are physically able. In these situations, it is vital to
maintain the dignity of the patient.

Another factor to consider is the added difficulty in working with patients who
often suffer from multiple ailments and impairments. If you are
prescribing a drug for one condition, you must be aware of the possible
outcomes on the other pre-existing conditions and whether or not the drug is
safe to take in combination with the patients existing prescriptions. For
example, there are certain medications for glaucoma which cannot be used if
the patient has anemia.

If this sounds too demanding, there is another option in the form of respite
care. More and more often after a stay in hospital, seniors are checking into
respite care while they recuperate. Working in this setting offers the advantage
of working with different patients each month and hopefully helping them to
recover enough to return to their lives outside of a care home.

As you can see a career in elder care is not an easy option, but it does offer the
career a chance to work with interesting people and while it may not always be
possible to 'cure' your patients, you can make their lives more comfortable and

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give them the chance to enjoy their twilight years. (Source:
https://www.medicalenglish.com/module/core/unit/18/reading)

READING COMPREHENSION

Direction. Decide whether the statement is true or false based on the text above.

1. Most medical interactions with the elderly are at a hospice, in respite care
or in residential care.

True

False

2. Patients with dementia or similar impairments need regular

companionship to keep their cognitive functions working.

True

False

3. People with pre-existing glaucoma are most prone to bedsores and other
ailments.

True

False

4. A care worker must feel comfortable with his/her duties as well as

maintaining the patient’s dignity.

True

False

5. A care worker needs to consider pre-existing conditions of the elderly

patients when prescribing drugs.

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 True

False

VOCABULARY
Direction. Find seven specific terms on the text above. Find and write the definition.
Number 1 to 3 are for your examples.

1. Hospice: a home providing care for the sick or terminally ill

2. Respite Care: planned or emergency temporary care provided to caregivers of a

child or adult

3. Bedsore : a sore developed by an invalid because of pressure caused by lying in

bed in one position

4. Osteoporosis : a bone disease that occurs when the body loses to much bone,
makes too little bone , or both.

5. Ailments : a physical disorder or illness, especially of a minor or chronic nature.

6. Impairments : a loss or abnormality of psychological, physiological or

anatomical structure or function.

7. Medication : a drug used to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent disease.

8. Glaucoma : a grup of eye diseases that can cause vision loss.

9. Anemia : a condition in which the number of red blood cells or the

haemogolobin concentration within them is lower than normal.

10. Infirm : a condition sickly or weak or not strong in will or character.

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