Reading Skills for Healthcare Workers

Callie is one of Peter’s elderly home health care clients. Callie had the flu for a week and felt horrible. She felt stuffed up, and she coughed a lot. She had to stay in bed and rest. When Peter visited her, he wore a face mask so that he would not get the flu too. Now Callie’s flu has turned into pneumonia.

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Pneumonia is an infection that can be passed easily in the air or from person to person through bacteria. It is an infection that creates swelling in the lungs. The tiny air sacs in Callie’s lungs are filled with fluid. Callie finds it hard to breathe. She also has a fever.

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Elderly patients often get pneumonia after they get the flu.  Pneumonia is a more serious illness than the flu is. Elderly patients have less healthy immune systems than younger patients do, so their bodies might not be able to fight off the pneumonia.

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When Peter visits Callie at her house, he is careful about treating her. He washes his hands when he arrives at her house and after he is finished helping her. He wears gloves too. He wears a face mask so he doesn’t catch the infection when Callie coughs. He makes sure Callie is eating healthy foods even though she is not very hungry. Callie drinks a lot of fluids during the day. Fluids help clear her body of the infection.

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Callie is grateful for Peter’s visits during this difficult time. Peter hopes that Callie will recover from her pneumonia and feel healthy again soon.