Many years ago when I worked as an IV therapist, I was frequently assigned to draw blood or restart IVs on patients in the ICU, CCU, Burn Unit, Pediatric ICU, or the Neonatal Unit. Patients in these areas were often unable to speak, unconscious, or comatose. Despite their inability to respond verbally to my presence and my invasion of their body with needles, I was trained to treat every person as if they were alert and able to understand what I was saying. It was the courteous thing to do.
