ACC Legal and Ethical Considerations 2

Question 1

A person with mild Alzheimer's disease wants to update their will. What is the legal standard that determines if they can do so?

Accepted Answer

They must demonstrate testamentary capacity at the time of signing

Answer

Testamentary capacity requires the person to understand what a will is, know their property, recognize their heirs, and understand how the document distributes assets at the specific time of signing.

Question 2

A caregiver discovers that an Alzheimer's patient's adult child is withdrawing large sums from the patient's bank account without authorization. This is best classified as:

Accepted Answer

Financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult

Answer

Unauthorized withdrawal of funds from a vulnerable adult's account constitutes financial exploitation, which is a form of elder abuse reportable to Adult Protective Services.

Question 3

Which document specifically allows a designated person to make medical decisions on behalf of an Alzheimer's patient who lacks decision-making capacity?

Accepted Answer

Healthcare proxy (durable power of attorney for healthcare)

Answer

A healthcare proxy or durable power of attorney for healthcare designates a specific agent to make medical decisions when the patient can no longer do so.

Question 4

An Alzheimer's patient in a care facility repeatedly asks to go home and attempts to leave. The facility uses a locked door code system. This practice is ethically justified primarily because:

Accepted Answer

It balances safety from wandering risk against restrictive freedom

Answer

Secured environments represent an ethical balance between protecting cognitively impaired individuals from wandering dangers and minimizing unnecessary restriction of freedom.

Question 5

When an Alzheimer's patient's previously documented advance directive conflicts with what their healthcare proxy now requests, which generally takes precedence?

Accepted Answer

The advance directive, as it reflects the patient's own prior wishes

Answer

Advance directives represent the patient's own self-determined wishes and generally take precedence over proxy decisions, as the proxy's role is to honor those stated wishes.

(ACC) Alzheimers Caregiver Certification Practice Test

(ACC) Alzheimers Caregiver Certification Practice Test

ACC Legal and Ethical Considerations 2