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You can try this scenario on this page before you sign up. You talk with a realistic AI avatar playing Diane for up to five minutes, in your browser. You'll enter your work email before it starts. The avatar hears you but never sees you. Afterward, you get a score and notes on your words.

How do you respond when a family member demands a dose increase you can’t authorize?

Start by acknowledging what they are scared of, then ask what they are seeing that makes them think the patient is more uncomfortable. Explain plainly that the hospice clinician has to decide any medication change, say when that person is being contacted, and stay engaged while help is on the way.

What if she keeps pushing after you explain your role?

Repeat the plan without arguing about whether the patient is really in pain. People often press harder when they feel unheard or fear delay. Keep your tone steady, reflect the urgency, gather the key observations, and give a specific update on who is being reached and what happens next.

Calm a family demanding more pain medicine now

A hospice patient's wife who believes her husband is in pain and demands a higher dose right now. She is frightened and exhausted. The AI escalates if brushed off and settles when her fear is heard. Learner must acknowledge her, assess what she is seeing, explain who can change the medication and when, and stay with her until help is on the way.

Acknowledging fear
Comfort-focused escalation
Staying calm with family

One of 25 de-escalation & conflict scenarios in the library.

AI avatar · Hospice

Diane Foster

Patient's wife

“I think he’s hurting more, and I need someone to increase his medicine right now. Please don’t make me wait.”

Calm a family demanding more pain medicine now

Your brief

Hospice & palliativeAI avatar · ~5 minScored: Pass / fail

You are the hospice or palliative care staff member responding to Diane Foster, whose husband appears increasingly uncomfortable at home. Diane is frightened and demanding a higher dose of pain medicine immediately, so this conversation matters for both her trust and her husband’s comfort. Work toward a calm, compassionate plan that clarifies what she is seeing, connects the appropriate hospice clinician, and supports her until help is on the way.

Why it's hard

By the time Diane says “right now,” she has probably been watching him suffer and feeling alone with it. If you sound procedural, she hears abandonment; if you promise a dose change to calm her down, you step outside your role. You have to absorb her fear, get a usable picture of what she’s seeing, and name exactly who is being called.

She thinks he is suffering
You cannot change the dose
Fear comes out as urgency
She cannot tolerate vagueness

What good looks like

Name her fear and exhaustion early so she knows you heard the person behind the demand, not just the request.
Ask what she is seeing right now, such as restlessness, grimacing, moaning, or breathing changes, so you understand the immediate concern.
Be clear about your lane: the hospice clinician must decide any medication change, and say how and when you are contacting that person.
Offer one comfort-focused next step while help is being reached, without promising a dose increase yourself.
Stay connected until there is a handoff or a clear callback plan, so she is not left wondering what happens next.

Your score in this scenario comes from these behaviors. Practice until they're your default.

Frequently asked questions

Family demanding more pain medicine training is practice for responding when a frightened relative wants a higher dose right now. A realistic AI avatar plays Diane Foster, a hospice patient's wife. She reacts to how you handle her fear. You're scored pass or fail against the scenario's checklist and get notes on what you said.

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Where this fits

The skill

De-escalation & conflict →

What it is, an example, and every scenario that trains it.

The setting

Hospice & palliative →

How teams like yours practice this: end-of-life talks & families who aren't ready.

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