ACC Professional Standards & Ethics 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A resident asks an activity consultant to keep a secret that conflicts with the resident's care plan. The most ethical response is to:
- Promise confidentiality and honor it completely
- Explain that some information may need to be shared with the care team to ensure safety (Correct answer)
- Ignore the information since it was shared in confidence
- Document the secret without informing the care team
Correct answer: Explain that some information may need to be shared with the care team to ensure safety
Activity consultants must balance confidentiality with the duty to share information that affects resident safety and care.
Question 2: Which of the following best defines 'person-centered care' in activity programming?
- Providing the same activities to all residents regardless of preference
- Designing programs based solely on group needs
- Tailoring activities to each resident's individual interests, abilities, and goals (Correct answer)
- Focusing activities on staff convenience
Correct answer: Tailoring activities to each resident's individual interests, abilities, and goals
Person-centered care requires individualizing programming based on each resident's unique preferences, history, and capabilities.
Question 3: An activity consultant witnesses a colleague making a demeaning comment to a resident. The appropriate first action is to:
- Ignore it to avoid workplace conflict
- Report the incident to the supervisor or follow facility protocol (Correct answer)
- Confront the colleague publicly
- Ask the resident to ignore the comment
Correct answer: Report the incident to the supervisor or follow facility protocol
Witnessing abuse or demeaning conduct requires reporting through proper channels to protect resident dignity and safety.
Question 4: Under OBRA '87 regulations, activity programs in long-term care must be provided by:
- Any available staff member
- A qualified activity professional or consultant (Correct answer)
- The facility administrator
- A licensed social worker only
Correct answer: A qualified activity professional or consultant
OBRA '87 mandates that activity programs be directed by a qualified activity professional meeting defined criteria.
Question 5: When developing a resident's activity assessment, the activity consultant should primarily rely on:
- The family's preferences only
- Medical chart data exclusively
- A combination of resident interview, observation, and records review (Correct answer)
- The admissions director's summary
Correct answer: A combination of resident interview, observation, and records review
A comprehensive activity assessment draws from multiple sources including direct resident input, observation, and existing documentation.
Question 6: Which ethical principle requires an activity professional to act in the best interest of the resident, even when the resident cannot advocate for themselves?
- Autonomy
- Beneficence (Correct answer)
- Justice
- Nonmaleficence
Correct answer: Beneficence
Beneficence means actively promoting the well-being of residents, particularly those who are vulnerable or unable to self-advocate.
Question 7: A resident's family member insists that the resident not participate in a religious activity the resident has requested. The activity professional should:
- Always defer to the family's wishes
- Honor the resident's expressed preferences, as residents retain their rights (Correct answer)
- Cancel the activity entirely
- Consult only the social worker
Correct answer: Honor the resident's expressed preferences, as residents retain their rights
Residents retain the right to make their own activity choices, and their preferences take precedence over family objections.
ACC Professional Standards & Ethics 2
A resident asks an activity consultant to keep a secret that conflicts with the resident's care plan.
The most ethical response is to: