Reading Skills for Healthcare Workers

Brian works as a home health aide. He enjoys visiting his many different clients in their homes and checking on their health needs. He recently met a new client named Miss Maple. She was wearing tinted glasses, and she often touched objects as she walked around her house. She showed him the living room and the kitchen. When they sat down to talk, Miss Maple told Brian she was visually impaired. She wasn’t blind, but she had low vision.

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Brian asked her if that was why she wore tinted glasses. She answered, “Yes. I find that I can see better if I wear these glasses.”

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Brian asked, “Do you have any other accommodations for your low vision?”

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Miss Maple told him that she doesn’t need a cane around her house, but she uses a cane when she goes outside. “Also, I like to read large print books.”

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Brian has gotten used to Miss Maple’s low vision. He talks to her a lot while he is performing his duties in her kitchen. She likes to know what he is doing even if she can’t see his every action. Brian helps her take her medication and he prepares her meals. He checks her blood pressure and her heartrate. He talks with her about her medical conditions.

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Even though Miss Maple has low vision, she has adjusted to her visual impairment. She still loves reading. She asks Brian to take her to the library so she can exchange her large print books for different ones. Brian showed her how to enlarge the print when she reads articles on the internet. Sometimes he reads to her so her eyes can rest. Miss Maple is glad that Brian is such a thoughtful home health aide.