AAC Ethical & Legal Issues 3

Question 1

A care facility staff member posts a photo of a resident with Alzheimer's on social media without consent. This violates which legal protection?

Accepted Answer

HIPAA privacy regulations

Answer

Posting identifiable resident information without consent violates HIPAA privacy regulations protecting personal health information.

Question 2

What is the primary purpose of a guardianship order in the context of Alzheimer's care?

Accepted Answer

To grant a court-appointed person legal authority to make decisions for an incapacitated individual

Answer

Guardianship is a court-ordered legal arrangement giving a guardian authority over personal and/or financial decisions for an incapacitated person.

Question 3

When a person with advanced Alzheimer's has no advance directive and no family, who typically makes medical decisions?

Accepted Answer

The state-appointed public guardian or ethics committee

Answer

In the absence of an advance directive or family surrogate, a public guardian or institutional ethics committee may be appointed by the court.

Question 4

An adult child tells care staff not to tell their parent with Alzheimer's about a terminal cancer diagnosis. What ethical concern does this raise?

Accepted Answer

Autonomy, because the person may still have a right to know their diagnosis

Answer

Even with cognitive impairment, the person's autonomy and right to information should be assessed based on their current decision-making capacity.

Question 5

Which scenario best illustrates the ethical principle of non-maleficence in Alzheimer's care?

Accepted Answer

Avoiding interventions that cause pain or distress with no clinical benefit

Answer

Non-maleficence means 'do no harm,' which includes avoiding burdensome treatments that offer no meaningful benefit.

(AAC) Alzheimer's Association Certification Practice Test