Ethical & Legal Issues 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 Ethical & Legal Issues flashcards as text
A person with moderate Alzheimer's disease repeatedly asks to go home during a care facility visit. What ethical principle guides the care team to honor their emotional need without deception?
Answer: Autonomy through validation therapy
Validation therapy respects the person's emotional reality and supports autonomy without harmful deception.
Which legal instrument allows a person to designate someone to make healthcare decisions if they lose decision-making capacity?
Answer: Durable power of attorney for healthcare
A durable power of attorney for healthcare designates a healthcare proxy to make medical decisions when the person cannot.
Under HIPAA, which situation permits disclosure of a person with Alzheimer's PHI without their explicit consent?
Answer: Treatment coordination with another provider
HIPAA permits PHI disclosure for treatment, payment, and healthcare operations, including coordination with other treating providers.
An Alzheimer's caregiver notices bruising on a resident that staff cannot explain. What is the immediate ethical and legal obligation?
Answer: Document findings and report to the supervisor and adult protective services
Unexplained injuries must be documented and reported to supervisors and adult protective services per mandatory reporting laws.
A family member with financial power of attorney wants to use the person's funds to pay their own personal debts. This action constitutes:
Answer: Financial exploitation and breach of fiduciary duty
Using a vulnerable person's funds for personal benefit is financial exploitation and a breach of the agent's fiduciary duty.
Which ethical framework prioritizes outcomes that produce the greatest good for the greatest number when making care decisions for people with Alzheimer's?
Answer: Utilitarian ethics
Utilitarian ethics evaluates decisions based on the outcomes that maximize overall well-being for the most people.
A person with early-stage Alzheimer's expresses a wish to stop taking a medication their physician recommends. What should the care team do first?
Answer: Assess whether the person currently has decision-making capacity
An Alzheimer's diagnosis alone does not eliminate capacity; the team must assess whether the person can understand and reason about the decision.