Can I try this scenario before signing up?

You can try this scenario on this page before you sign up. You talk with a realistic AI avatar playing Walter Briggs 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 patient says they don’t want to make conversation?

Start by not arguing with the premise. A simple introduction, a calm acknowledgment that you can just sit quietly, and a pause often land better than trying to win them over. If they offer a detail, respond to that detail rather than switching into interview mode.

What if the patient barely says anything the whole visit?

That can still be a good visit. The point is not to draw out a long exchange; it is to show you can be steady, respectful, and unintrusive. In this scenario, you score well by honoring the quiet, noticing reluctance, and offering a low-pressure next step instead of forcing connection.

Sit with a withdrawn patient on a first volunteer visit

A hospice patient who barely speaks to his new volunteer and turns toward the window. He is tired of visitors. The AI stays closed if you fill the silence with chatter and opens slowly to quiet, genuine interest. Learner must introduce themselves simply, follow his lead, and be comfortable with silence.

Being present
Comfort with silence
Following the patient's lead

One of 28 empathy & patient experience scenarios in the library.

AI avatar · Hospice

Walter Briggs

Hospice patient

“You don’t have to make conversation. I’m just going to keep looking out the window.”

Sit with a withdrawn patient on a first volunteer visit

Your brief

Hospice & palliativeAI avatar · ~5 minScored: Percentage

You are entering a first volunteer visit with Walter Briggs, a hospice patient who is tired of visitors and is sitting turned toward the window. Introduce yourself simply and offer companionship without trying to force conversation. Your goal is to create a sense of safety and presence by following Walter's lead and allowing quiet moments to remain quiet.

Why it's hard

Silence is the whole assignment here, which can feel almost unbearable when you’ve just met someone who has already decided he doesn’t want another visitor. Walter’s turned body and flat opener tempt you to prove you’re kind, useful, different; the moment you do, the visit becomes about easing your own discomfort instead of respecting his.

He is tired of visitors
The window has his attention
Silence exposes your nerves
He gives almost nothing back

What good looks like

Introduce yourself in one plain sentence and say you’re his volunteer; skip the long backstory.
Let the quiet sit. Don’t rush in with small talk, forced brightness, or a string of questions just because the room feels awkward.
Acknowledge what he is showing you: he may be tired or not in the mood to talk. Make clear you can work with that.
Follow the few details he offers, if any; ask a gentle question only when it fits, then stop and listen.
Offer one low-pressure next step, such as sitting with him quietly for a bit or coming back another time if he prefers.

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

Frequently asked questions

Hospice volunteer first-visit training is practice for a first visit with a patient who doesn't want to talk. A realistic AI avatar plays Walter Briggs, a hospice patient tired of visitors. You get a percentage score and notes on how well you stay present, respect silence, and follow his lead.

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Where this fits

The skill

Empathy & patient experience →

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.

Make it yours

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