A home-health client two days out of a heart-failure admission with three medication changes and a fluid limit. He nods along, says yes to everything, and would rather not admit what he did not follow. Learner must find out what he actually understood by having him explain the plan back in his own words, one change at a time, and fix each gap without making him feel tested.
One of 21 care instructions & adherence scenarios in the library.
AI avatar · Home careRaymond Pulaski
Home-health client, two days after discharge
“I’m glad you’re here, but I’m a little mixed up about what changed since I got home. I’ve been saying yes, though I’m not sure I have it all straight.”
Confirm a patient understood their discharge instructions
Your brief
You are the home-health professional visiting Raymond Pulaski two days after his discharge for heart failure. Raymond has three medication changes and a fluid limit but tends to agree even when he is unsure. Guide the conversation so he can explain each part back in his own words, identify and repair misunderstandings, and leave with a clear, manageable plan.
Why it's hard
Raymond agrees with everything, so the usual "any questions?" returns nothing and hides the gap. Three changes at once overload him; he keeps the first and loses the rest, and the moment a check sounds like a quiz he goes quiet out of embarrassment. Visit time is short, and the instinct is to explain more when the skill is to ask more.
Normalize the confusion, review one change at a time, and ask Raymond to explain each step in his own words. Don't ask if he understands or cover everything at once. Listen for gaps, fix each one in plain words, then have him repeat warning signs and who to call.
I’m glad you’re here, but I’m a little mixed up about what changed since I got home. I’ve been saying yes, though I’m not sure I have it all straight.
Thanks for telling me, Raymond. I want to be sure I explained it clearly. Let's take one change at a time. How will you take the first medicine at home?
I think it's the same pills, just maybe one changed. And I know I'm supposed to drink less, but I can't remember how much.
That helps, Raymond. We'll use your discharge sheet and fix this one step at a time. After each item, you'll tell me how you'll do it. First, let's look at the first medicine.
Why it worked: You lowered shame, used teach-back, and checked one change at a time. Strong answers also catch gaps, re-explain simply, and confirm warning signs and who to call.
Avoid saying
“Do you understand everything now?”
It invites a polite yes and hides the parts Raymond cannot explain or follow at home.
Your score in this scenario comes from these behaviors. Practice until they're your default.
Teach-back is a health-literacy technique where you ask the patient to explain, in their own words, what they will do at home — so you hear what actually landed instead of what they agreed to. In this browser-based voice scenario you use it with Raymond, a home-health client two days out of hospital with three medication changes, and get a percentage score, rubric feedback, and a transcript.
Put the responsibility on yourself: "I want to check that I explained this clearly." Then ask about the doing, not the remembering — "How will you take the water pill tomorrow morning?" — one change at a time. When he gets something wrong, the fix is a plainer explanation and another check, never a correction that sounds like marking a test.
Home-health nurses and aides who see clients after a hospital stay, discharge and transition-of-care nurses, and pharmacists counseling on medication changes. It is assigned most often in onboarding and after a readmission that traced back to an instruction the client agreed with and did not understand.
You can practice with Raymond Pulaski right here before signing up. The preview runs the real scenario in your browser for up to five minutes, with a realistic AI avatar. A work email comes first, and you get a score and notes on what you said when it ends.
Jamal Thornton
Substance use treatment client
A client in substance use treatment admits they used again and expects to be punished or discharged. The AI is ashamed, evasive, and may consider skipping the next session. Learner must respond without shame, assess immediate safety needs, and help the client identify the next treatment-focused step.
Skills you'll train
Stanley Wu
Independent living resident
Stanley Wu repeatedly declines meals, saying the food is bland and he would rather skip it, while becoming more dismissive if staff lecture him about nutrition. He softens when his preferences and independence are respected, but keeps testing whether the learner will simply accept an unsafe pattern. The learner must explore the reason for refusal, offer realistic alternatives within dietary requirements, set a supportive next step, and recognize when to alert the appropriate team member.
Skills you'll train
Alice Monroe
Home-health client
A client refusing part of their care plan — diet, exercise, meds. Learner must understand the resistance, explain the why simply, and find a workable compromise.
Skills you'll train
The skill
Care instructions & adherence →
What it is, an example, and every scenario that trains it.
The setting
Home care & home health →
How teams like yours practice this: first visits, refusals & worried families.
Make it yours
Custom scenarios →
Same situation, your protocols. Describe it and practice it in minutes.
Send this scenario to one role or one site. You set the pass mark and see who's ready before it's real.