How to write about a patient's family and carers in an OET letter
In an OET Nursing letter, mention a family member or carer only when they affect the patient's care: who they are in relation to the patient, what they do or cannot do, and anything the reader needs to arrange with them. Name the relationship clearly ('his daughter, who lives nearby'), avoid unclear pronouns when two people of the same gender appear in one sentence, and leave out relatives who play no part in the plan.
Why family information is easy to get wrong
Nursing case notes almost always include a social history: who the patient lives with, who visits, who helps, who is next of kin. Candidates often either copy all of it ("She has three sons and one daughter; her son lives in Perth...") or drop it entirely. Both can cost marks.
The test is the same as for any note: does it change what the reader will do? If a carer gives the patient's insulin, the reader must know. If a grandson lives overseas and has no role, the reader does not. This connects to case-notes selection and the Content criterion.
When to include family and carers
| Include when... | Example (invented) |
|---|---|
| They provide care | "His wife manages his medicines and helps him dress." |
| They cannot provide care | "Her husband has had a stroke and is unable to help with her personal care." |
| They need education or support | "Her son, who will be her main carer, has been shown how to use the oxygen concentrator." |
| They are the contact for the reader | "Please contact his daughter, Ms Ana Silva, on the number below to arrange the home visit." |
| Their concern affects the plan | "His wife is worried about managing at night, so a carer visit has been requested." |
Leave them out when they are mentioned only for background and do not change any action. A sentence such as "She has two grandchildren" is rarely needed.
Naming relationships clearly
Always make the relationship to the patient clear. Possessives and short relative clauses do this efficiently; see relative clauses in an OET letter.
- "his daughter, who lives five minutes away"
- "her partner, who works night shifts"
- "his neighbour, who checks on him daily"
- "her son, who has power of attorney" (only if the notes say so)
Avoid unclear terms such as "the relative" or "family" when the notes say exactly who: "family will help" is vague; "his two sons will take turns staying with him for the first week" is clear.
Use neutral, respectful words. Write "her husband" or "her partner" exactly as the notes describe the relationship, and do not guess a relationship or a gender the notes do not give.
Avoiding pronoun confusion
When two people of the same gender appear together, "he", "she", "his" and "her" can point to either one. The reader should never have to guess who is doing what.
| Unclear | Clear |
|---|---|
| "She lives with her daughter, and she has dementia." | "She lives with her daughter. Mrs Brown has dementia." or "She lives with her daughter, who has dementia." (choose the one the notes support) |
| "Mr Ali's son helps him with his medicines, but he works full time." | "Mr Ali's son helps him with his medicines but works full time." |
| "Her mother will collect her, and she will stay with her for two weeks." | "Her mother will collect her, and Ms Chen will stay at her mother's home for two weeks." |
Repeating the name or the noun is fine when it removes doubt. For more on referring to the patient, see how to refer to the patient in an OET letter.
Worked example (invented case)
Case notes (invented social history): Mrs Ivy Brennan, 83. Lives with husband (86, poor eyesight, cannot read labels). Daughter (Claire) lives 10 min away, visits daily after work, has agreed to set up a weekly pill organiser. Son lives in Canada. Grandson studying nursing. Mrs Brennan anxious about husband managing alone if she is readmitted.
Weak paragraph:
Mrs Brennan lives with her husband. She has a daughter and a son, and her grandson is studying nursing. Her daughter visits every day. She is worried about him.
Here "She is worried about him" is unclear, and the son and grandson add nothing.
Better paragraph:
Mrs Brennan lives with her husband, whose poor eyesight means he cannot read medicine labels. Their daughter, who lives nearby and visits daily, has agreed to fill a weekly pill organiser for her. Mrs Brennan is anxious about how her husband would manage alone if she were readmitted.
Each detail now supports the plan: medicine safety and a possible need for support at home.
Common mistakes
- Copying the whole family tree. Select by relevance.
- "Family will help" without saying who or how. Be specific.
- Ambiguous pronouns. Repeat the noun when two people share a pronoun.
- Forgetting the carer's limits. If a carer cannot help, the reader needs to know.
- Adding opinions about the family. Report what the notes record, neutrally. See formal tone and Genre & Style.
Practise and check
Practise selecting social details in a timed letter, or check a letter you have written to see which notes you included, missed or included unnecessarily. medEmu is an independent practice tool for OET Writing for Nursing; its grades are estimates, and it is not affiliated with OET.
Sources
This guide is medEmu's writing advice, not official OET guidance; all people and case details are invented. The network used for this run could not reach oet.com, so no OET test facts are stated beyond the criterion names. For OET's official Writing information, see oet.com.