Care and medical vocabulary – talk to the person you care for, their family and the doctor
Vocabulary for caring for an elderly person covers the names of parts of the body and ailments, everyday care activities (washing, feeding, changing position), medicines and how to give them, equipment (a walking frame, a wheelchair, an anti-pressure-sore mattress) and the phrases needed in an emergency. Below you will find about 70 entries with plain explanations and three short dialogues. We do not run a separate medical course, but you can practise this vocabulary in one-to-one lessons – start with a trial lesson and tell your teacher what your working day looks like.
Who will find this glossary useful
The glossary is for carers of elderly and ill people, care home staff, paramedics' assistants and everyone who speaks Polish with the person they care for, their family, a nurse or a doctor. It is one of the materials for our Polish courses for work. If you are a doctor and want to work in Poland, check the B1 requirement for doctors under the simplified procedure.
Important: this is a language glossary, not a medical guide. A doctor always decides about medicines, doses and treatment – your task is to understand their instructions well and to say clearly what is happening to the person you care for.
The body and ailments
You need these words when the person you care for says what hurts, and when you pass that on to the family or the doctor. The simplest construction is Boli mnie… + the nominative: Boli mnie głowa, Bolą mnie nogi.
| Polish word | Meaning and situation |
|---|---|
| głowa, szyja, plecy, brzuch | the parts of the body you ask about most often: Co pana boli? |
| ręka, noga, kolano, biodro | limbs and joints – important after falls |
| ból | silny ból, lekki ból, ból od rana |
| gorączka, temperatura | raised body temperature; Ma gorączkę, trzydzieści osiem i pół. |
| ciśnienie (wysokie, niskie) | blood pressure, measured with a blood pressure monitor |
| cukier | colloquially: the blood sugar level, measured with a glucometer |
| zawroty głowy | “my head is spinning” |
| duszność | it is hard to breathe, “there is not enough air” |
| kaszel, katar | symptoms of a cold |
| nudności, wymioty | “I feel sick”; bringing food back up |
| biegunka, zaparcie | very frequent, loose stools; no stool for several days |
| obrzęk | swelling, e.g. swollen legs |
| odleżyna | a sore on the skin from lying in one position for a long time |
| rana, siniak, otarcie | a cut; a blue mark after a knock; scraped skin |
| upadek | Pani upadła w łazience. |
| splątanie, dezorientacja | the person does not know where they are, or talks nonsense |
Daily care
The verbs in this table describe your working day. Tell the person you care for what you are about to do – it gives them a sense of security: Teraz pomogę pani usiąść.
| Polish word | Meaning and situation |
|---|---|
| toaleta poranna, wieczorna | washing in the morning and in the evening |
| umyć, wykąpać | Umyję panu plecy. Dziś wykąpiemy się pod prysznicem. |
| przebrać, ubrać się | to change clothes; to put on clothes |
| zmienić pieluchomajtki | to change absorbent pants for people with incontinence |
| nietrzymanie moczu | the person does not control passing urine |
| karmić, podać jedzenie | to help with eating |
| pić, nawodnić | to make sure the person drinks; Wypił dziś mało wody. |
| zmienić pozycję, obrócić na bok | changing position regularly protects against pressure sores |
| posadzić, pomóc wstać | Proszę się trzymać mojej ręki, wstajemy. |
| przenieść na wózek | to transfer from the bed to a wheelchair |
| spacer | Po obiedzie pójdziemy na krótki spacer. |
| ogolić, uczesać, obciąć paznokcie | daily hygiene |
| posmarować kremem | skin care |
| zmierzyć ciśnienie, temperaturę, cukier | measurements that you write down in a notebook |
| zeszyt pomiarów, notatki | the place where you record measurements, medicines and important events |
Medicines and dosage
With medicines the most important things are the times of day and the way of giving them – write down the instructions and, if in doubt, ask the family, a nurse or a pharmacist.
| Polish word | Meaning and situation |
|---|---|
| lek, lekarstwo | the same thing – a substance for treatment |
| tabletka, kapsułka | a medicine to swallow |
| krople, syrop, maść | a liquid medicine counted in drops; a thick liquid; a medicine to rub in |
| zastrzyk | a medicine given with a needle |
| dawka | how much of the medicine to give at once; jedna tabletka dwa razy dziennie |
| rano, w południe, wieczorem, przed snem | times of giving medicines |
| na czczo | before eating, when the stomach is empty |
| po jedzeniu, w trakcie jedzenia | when to give the medicine in relation to a meal |
| pojemnik na leki (colloquially: kasetka) | a box with compartments for days and times |
| recepta, e-recepta | a doctor's order for a medicine; an electronic prescription with a code |
| apteka, farmaceuta | the place where you buy medicines; the person who dispenses them |
| skutki uboczne | unwanted symptoms after a medicine – you report them to the doctor or the family |
Equipment
The names of equipment are useful when talking to the family and when ordering the things that are needed.
| Polish word | Meaning and situation |
|---|---|
| łóżko rehabilitacyjne | a bed with adjustable height and backrest |
| materac przeciwodleżynowy | a mattress that reduces the risk of pressure sores |
| wózek inwalidzki | a wheelchair for a person who does not walk |
| balkonik, kule, laska | things that help with walking |
| podnośnik | a device for moving a person who is lying down |
| basen, kaczka | a vessel for passing stool or urine in bed |
| krzesło toaletowe | a chair with a toilet seat next to the bed |
| podkład | an absorbent mat for the bed |
| ciśnieniomierz, glukometr, termometr | for measuring blood pressure, sugar and temperature |
| poręcz, uchwyt | for holding on to in the bathroom and in the corridor |
People and places in healthcare
These words will help you understand who you are talking to and where something has to be arranged. You can read how to talk in a doctor's surgery in our guide to visiting the doctor.
| Polish word | Meaning and situation |
|---|---|
| podopieczny, podopieczna | the person you care for (male, female) |
| lekarz rodzinny, przychodnia | a primary care doctor; the place where they see patients |
| pielęgniarka środowiskowa | a nurse who comes to the patient's home |
| wizyta domowa | a doctor or nurse comes to the home |
| skierowanie | a document from a doctor for a test or to a specialist |
| szpitalny oddział ratunkowy (SOR) | the part of a hospital for emergencies |
| pogotowie, karetka | the emergency service; the vehicle that comes to the sick person |
| wypis ze szpitala | a document with instructions after a stay in hospital |
Emergencies
In an emergency you call the emergency number – the dispatcher will ask you a few questions and you must answer briefly. Practise these phrases aloud before you need them.
| Phrase | When to use it |
|---|---|
| Proszę przysłać karetkę. | the first sentence in a conversation with the dispatcher |
| Pani upadła i nie może wstać. | after a fall |
| Pan stracił przytomność. | the person you care for does not respond |
| Nie oddycha. / Oddycha z trudem. | an answer to the question about breathing |
| Ma silny ból w klatce piersiowej. | describing the pain |
| Nie mówi wyraźnie, ma opadnięty kącik ust. | describing the symptoms you can see |
| Adres to…, mieszkanie numer…, piętro… | the exact address – keep it written down by the phone |
| Jestem opiekunką, nie mówię dobrze po polsku. | the dispatcher then knows to speak more slowly and simply |
Dialogues from care work
Three dialogues show the glossary words in a conversation with the person you care for, with the family and with the emergency number. Read them aloud and change the symptoms, medicines or times. We suggest how to talk to your superior or the family of the person you care for about the schedule or a day off in our phrases for every working day.
Poranna toaleta (the morning wash)
– Dzień dobry, pani Zofio. Jak się pani spało?
– Źle, bolały mnie plecy.
– Przykro mi. Teraz pomogę pani usiąść, a potem umyjemy się w łazience.
– Dobrze, ale powoli.
– Oczywiście. Proszę się trzymać mojej ręki.
Rozmowa z rodziną o lekach (talking to the family about medicines)
– Czy mama wzięła rano leki?
– Tak, wszystkie z kasetki, po śniadaniu. Ciśnienie było sto czterdzieści na dziewięćdziesiąt.
– A cukier?
– Sto dwadzieścia, na czczo. Zapisałam w zeszycie.
– Dziękuję. Lekarz przyjdzie w czwartek.
Wezwanie pomocy (calling for help)
– Numer alarmowy, słucham.
– Dzień dobry, proszę przysłać karetkę. Starszy pan upadł i nie może wstać.
– Czy jest przytomny?
– Tak, mówi, ale bardzo boli go biodro.
– Jaki jest adres?
– Ulica Lipowa siedem, mieszkanie dwanaście, drugie piętro.
– Proszę go nie podnosić. Karetka już jedzie.
In the trial lesson you will practise a call with an emergency dispatcher with your teacher – so that in an emergency the words you need come by themselves.
Frequently asked questions
Does the school run a medical Polish course for carers?
We do not run a separate medical course. You can practise the vocabulary from this page in one-to-one lessons, where we build the programme around your job, and your fluency in conversation in conversation classes.
How do I ask the person I care for in Polish what hurts?
Ask: Co pana boli? or Co panią boli? The answer is usually: Boli mnie… + a part of the body, e.g. Boli mnie brzuch.
What does “na czczo” mean?
“Na czczo” means: before the first meal, when the stomach is empty. Some medicines are given this way and blood sugar is measured this way in the morning – as the doctor instructs.
How do I read a blood pressure result aloud?
A result of 140/90 is read sto czterdzieści na dziewięćdziesiąt. The pulse is given separately: tętno siedemdziesiąt dwa.
Vocabulary and conversations from your industry. Book a trial lesson and we will tailor the programme.
See also
- B1 for doctorsThe B1 requirement for the right to practise as a doctor under the simplified procedure – and how to prepare for it despite your shifts.Read →
- Polish at the doctor’sReception, symptoms, the doctor’s instructions and prescriptions – a glossary and two dialogues.Read →
- Workplace phrasesAbout 70 everyday phrases: instructions, schedule, leave, sickness, pay and chatting over coffee.Read →