ACC Caregiver Skills and Techniques 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A person with Alzheimer's attempts to leave the facility repeatedly. Which intervention is most appropriate?
- Physical restraint to prevent all movement
- Using door alarms and engaging the person in meaningful activities (Correct answer)
- Locking the person in their room
- Ignoring the behavior unless injury occurs
Correct answer: Using door alarms and engaging the person in meaningful activities
Wandering is best managed by safe environmental design combined with activities that reduce restlessness.
Question 2: Which of the following best describes the 'hand-over-hand' technique used in Alzheimer's caregiving?
- Placing the caregiver's hands over the person's to guide movement through a task (Correct answer)
- Restraining the person's hands to prevent self-injury
- Clapping hands together as a distraction technique
- Handing the person an object and walking away
Correct answer: Placing the caregiver's hands over the person's to guide movement through a task
Hand-over-hand guidance physically assists the person through familiar motions, supporting task completion while preserving participation.
Question 3: When a person with Alzheimer's exhibits aggressive behavior, the caregiver's first step should be to:
- Immediately call emergency services
- Step back, ensure safety, and identify possible triggers (Correct answer)
- Restrain the person to prevent harm
- Administer PRN medication without assessing the cause
Correct answer: Step back, ensure safety, and identify possible triggers
Identifying triggers such as pain, fear, or overstimulation helps caregivers address the root cause of aggression.
Question 4: Which activity is most appropriate for a person in the middle stages of Alzheimer's disease?
- Learning a new complex board game
- Sorting familiar household items by color or shape (Correct answer)
- Reading lengthy novels independently
- Planning and cooking a multi-course meal alone
Correct answer: Sorting familiar household items by color or shape
Simple, familiar tasks like sorting engage remaining abilities without causing frustration from failure.
Question 5: A caregiver observes that a person with Alzheimer's is in pain but cannot verbally express it. Which assessment tool is appropriate?
- A standard verbal numeric pain scale (0–10)
- A behavioral pain observation scale such as PAINAD (Correct answer)
- Asking the family to guess the pain level
- Assuming no pain exists since the person is not crying
Correct answer: A behavioral pain observation scale such as PAINAD
The PAINAD (Pain Assessment in Advanced Dementia) scale uses observable behaviors to estimate pain in non-verbal individuals.
Question 6: Which practice best supports sleep hygiene for a person with Alzheimer's?
- Encouraging long daytime naps to reduce nighttime wandering
- Establishing a consistent bedtime routine and limiting caffeine (Correct answer)
- Using television as a sleep aid throughout the night
- Administering sedatives as the first intervention
Correct answer: Establishing a consistent bedtime routine and limiting caffeine
Consistent routines and reduced stimulants help regulate the disrupted sleep-wake cycles common in Alzheimer's.
Question 7: During dressing, a person with Alzheimer's becomes distressed. The caregiver should:
- Increase speed to finish dressing as quickly as possible
- Pause, use a calm voice, and allow the person time to settle before continuing (Correct answer)
- Tell the person their behavior is inappropriate
- Document the behavior and skip dressing for the day
Correct answer: Pause, use a calm voice, and allow the person time to settle before continuing
Pausing and using a calm, reassuring approach reduces distress and allows the person to feel safe before continuing.
ACC Caregiver Skills and Techniques 3
A person with Alzheimer's attempts to leave the facility repeatedly.
Which intervention is most appropriate?