The candidate card
Setting
Aged care facility
Candidate
You are a visiting podiatrist. Mrs Raelene Pendlebury, aged 52, is the daughter of an 84-year-old resident with dementia. On her visit today, Mrs Pendlebury found her mother's toenails long and thickened and a red area on her left heel, and asked staff to call you. You have just reduced and filed the nails and assessed the heel: there is non-blanching redness with intact skin, consistent with early pressure damage. You will discuss a pressure-care plan with the nursing staff after this conversation.
Task (interlocutor: relative)
- Find out Mrs Pendlebury's concerns and what she has noticed about her mother recently (mobility, time in bed or chair, signs of discomfort)
- Explain your findings in lay terms (nails treated and regular visits needed; early pressure damage on the heel, skin not broken)
- Respond to her anger and her wish for someone to be blamed (acknowledge, avoid blaming or defending staff, explain how to raise a concern)
- Outline the care plan you will recommend to staff (keeping weight off the heel, repositioning, frequent heel checks, prompt pain assessment and relief)
- Agree how she will be kept informed and involved
In the test you get 3 minutes to read the card and plan, then about 5 minutes to talk. This card is original, written for this site; the interlocutor's card is not shown.
How to approach this card
- Open by thanking her for asking staff to call you, then ask what prompted her concern. Let her describe what she has seen before you explain anything; she is likely to want to be heard first, and early interruption may escalate her anger.
- Ask about her mother's recent changes using open questions first, then specific ones: how she moves, how long she sits or lies in one position, and whether she seems to wince or guard her foot. Her mother has dementia, so pain may not be reported in words.
- Give findings in short chunks: nails were long and thick and have been reduced, and regular visits will be needed. Then the heel: red, skin still intact, early pressure damage. Check understanding after each chunk. Avoid labelling it as neglect or as nobody's fault.
- When she asks who is to blame, acknowledge her anger and say it is understandable to want answers. Do not defend or criticise staff and do not speculate about causes you have not assessed. Find out what is behind her anger, then explain how to raise a concern formally.
- Give the plan in plain steps: keep weight off the heel, reposition regularly, check the heels often, and assess and treat pain promptly. Say you will discuss it with nursing staff after this talk. Close by agreeing how and how often she will be updated. If time is short, prioritise the plan and the update arrangement.
Phrases to adapt
Use your own words; these show the register, not lines to memorise.
- I can see how upsetting this is, and I'm glad you asked for me to be called.
- Tell me what you've noticed about Mum lately, even small things.
- I won't guess at why this happened, but I will make sure your concerns are heard.
- What would be the best way for us to keep you updated?
Medical words in plain English
| Term | How you might say it to the patient |
|---|---|
| non-blanching erythema | a red patch that stays red when pressed, which can be an early sign of pressure damage |
| pressure injury | damage to skin and tissue from staying in one position, with too much pressure on one spot |
| offloading | keeping weight and pressure off the sore heel, for example by changing how her foot is positioned |
How this card is marked
Two assessors mark the recording on nine criteria: intelligibility, fluency, appropriateness of language and resources of grammar and expression (each 0–6), then relationship building, understanding and incorporating the patient's perspective, providing structure, information gathering and information giving (each 0–3). Grade B usually means 5 on each language criterion and 2 on each clinical one. See the AI Speaking practice guide for what each criterion looks for.
More Podiatry role-play cards
- Peripheral neuropathy – unsafe hot foot soaks Home visit
- Plantar heel pain – marathon in 3 weeks Podiatry clinic
- Plantar ulcer – reluctance to wear an offloading boot Podiatry clinic (community high-risk foot service)
All sets: nurses, doctors, other professions. Your profession's guide: OET Podiatry.
Questions about this role-play
How do I respond if she demands to know who is at fault?
Acknowledge the feeling first, then be honest about your role: you assessed her mother's feet today and cannot say how this happened. Avoid blaming or defending anyone. Explain the proper way to raise a concern with the facility and offer to help her know how to do it.
How much detail should I give about the heel?
Keep it simple and accurate: the skin is not broken, the redness does not fade when pressed, and it is an early sign of pressure damage. Do not predict outcomes or give timeframes, since the card gives none. Focus on what will be done to protect the heel.
What if she asks whether her mother is in pain?
Say that people with dementia may not be able to say when they hurt, so staff will assess pain promptly and relieve it. Ask what she has seen, such as wincing or protecting the foot. Do not claim that the heel is painful or painless unless you have assessed it.
Sources
Last checked 22 Oct 2026. Rules and prices change: confirm on the official page before you book or apply.
OETAce is an independent practice site. OET is a registered trademark of Cambridge Boxhill Language Assessment (CBLA); we are not affiliated with or endorsed by CBLA. All practice material here is original.