End-of-Life & Palliative Care Flashcards
7 cards from real AAC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 End-of-Life & Palliative Care flashcards as text
Which document legally appoints a person to make healthcare decisions for someone with Alzheimer's who loses decision-making capacity?
Answer: Durable power of attorney for healthcare
A durable power of attorney for healthcare (healthcare proxy) designates a specific individual to make medical decisions when the person can no longer do so.
A family insists on tube feeding for their mother with late-stage Alzheimer's despite evidence it does not prolong life comfortably. The care team's best response is to:
Answer: Explain that hand-feeding supports comfort and dignity without prolonging suffering
Evidence shows tube feeding in late-stage dementia does not improve survival or prevent aspiration and can cause discomfort, so hand-feeding is the recommended comfort-focused alternative.
Pain assessment in a non-verbal Alzheimer's patient is BEST accomplished using:
Answer: Behavioral observation tools such as PAINAD
The PAINAD (Pain Assessment in Advanced Dementia) scale uses observable behaviors like facial grimacing and vocalizations to estimate pain in non-verbal patients.
Which ethical principle is most central when honoring a person with Alzheimer's previously expressed wish to avoid aggressive life-prolonging treatment?
Answer: Autonomy
Autonomy — respecting the individual's right to make their own decisions, including those made in advance — is the guiding principle when following prior directives.
What is 'anticipatory grief' in the context of Alzheimer's caregiving?
Answer: Grief experienced before death in response to ongoing losses
Anticipatory grief occurs as caregivers mourn ongoing losses — of the person's personality, abilities, and the relationship — before the physical death occurs.
Which symptom is MOST commonly undertreated in people with advanced Alzheimer's disease?
Answer: Pain
Pain is chronically undertreated in people with advanced dementia because they cannot reliably self-report it and behavioral pain cues are often misinterpreted.
A POLST (Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment) form differs from an advance directive in that it:
Answer: Is a signed medical order that is immediately actionable by first responders
POLST is a portable, signed medical order that translates treatment preferences into actionable instructions valid across care settings and honored by EMS.