Professional Ethics & Standards Flashcards

An ethics committee is consulted when a family insists on aggressive life-prolonging treatment for a nursing home resident with advanced dementia who has no advance directive. The committee's role is to:

Answer: Provide consultation, deliberation, and recommendations to guide decision-makers

Ethics committees serve an advisory and deliberative function; they do not override the authority of surrogates or clinicians but facilitate ethical analysis.

In gerontological practice, 'therapeutic privilege'—withholding information from a patient to prevent psychological harm—is ethically:

Answer: Generally considered a violation of patient autonomy and truth-telling obligations

Modern bioethics largely rejects therapeutic privilege as paternalistic and inconsistent with respect for patient autonomy and informed consent.

A gerontological social worker develops a close personal friendship with a former client's family member six months after case closure. This situation MOST likely represents:

Answer: A potential dual relationship that requires careful professional judgment

Post-termination relationships involve careful consideration of timing, vulnerability, and potential for exploitation—professional judgment is required.

Palliative sedation for an older adult with refractory symptoms at end of life is MOST ethically justified using the principle of:

Answer: The doctrine of double effect combined with patient consent and proportionality

The doctrine of double effect permits an action with a harmful foreseeable side effect (reduced consciousness) when the intent is relief of suffering, the patient consents, and benefits are proportionate.

Which of the following represents a mandatory reporting obligation for gerontological professionals in most U.S. states?

Answer: Reasonable suspicion of elder abuse in a licensed care facility

Most states mandate that licensed care facility staff report reasonable suspicion of elder abuse or neglect to Adult Protective Services or a designated agency.

The ethical concept of 'fidelity' in gerontological professional relationships PRIMARILY refers to:

Answer: Keeping promises and honoring commitments made to clients

Fidelity obligates professionals to be trustworthy, keep commitments, and honor the fiduciary nature of therapeutic relationships.

A gerontological professional working in a Medicare-certified agency documents services that were not provided in order to meet billing requirements. This action constitutes:

Answer: Medicare fraud, which is both an ethical violation and a federal crime

Billing Medicare for unprovided services is fraudulent, violates professional ethics codes regarding integrity, and carries criminal penalties under federal law.