BCG Professional Ethics & Standards 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A gerontological social worker discovers that an elderly client with mild cognitive impairment has been making large financial gifts to a new acquaintance. What is the MOST appropriate initial action?
- Report immediately to Adult Protective Services
- Conduct a capacity assessment and consult with the interdisciplinary team (Correct answer)
- Notify the client's family without the client's consent
- Document the concern and take no further action
Correct answer: Conduct a capacity assessment and consult with the interdisciplinary team
A capacity assessment establishes whether the client can make informed financial decisions before any reporting or intervention is initiated.
Question 2: Which ethical principle is MOST directly violated when a gerontological professional shares a client's diagnosis with the client's employer without consent?
- Beneficence
- Nonmaleficence
- Confidentiality (Correct answer)
- Justice
Correct answer: Confidentiality
Sharing protected health information without consent is a direct breach of confidentiality, a cornerstone ethical and legal obligation.
Question 3: An older adult refuses a recommended medication change despite clear evidence it would improve her condition. The care team disagrees with her choice. Under the ethical principle of autonomy, what should occur?
- Override her refusal if the team believes it is medically necessary
- Respect her decision after confirming she has decision-making capacity (Correct answer)
- Seek a court order to compel treatment
- Discharge her from the practice
Correct answer: Respect her decision after confirming she has decision-making capacity
A competent adult's informed refusal of treatment must be respected, even when clinicians disagree with the choice.
Question 4: In gerontological practice, 'ageism' as an ethical concern MOST directly refers to:
- Providing more resources to younger populations
- Stereotyping, prejudice, or discrimination based on a person's age (Correct answer)
- Mandating retirement at a fixed age by law
- Prioritizing younger patients during organ allocation
Correct answer: Stereotyping, prejudice, or discrimination based on a person's age
Ageism encompasses negative stereotypes, attitudes, and discriminatory behaviors directed at individuals because of their age.
Question 5: A BCG-certified professional observes a colleague engaging in unethical conduct with an older client. What is the MOST appropriate step according to professional standards?
- Ignore the behavior if the client has not complained
- Confront the colleague privately and, if unresolved, report to the appropriate professional body (Correct answer)
- Immediately terminate the colleague's employment
- Discuss the behavior publicly to warn other clients
Correct answer: Confront the colleague privately and, if unresolved, report to the appropriate professional body
Professional codes of ethics require practitioners to address colleague misconduct first directly, then through formal reporting channels if needed.
Question 6: When obtaining informed consent from an older adult with early-stage dementia, the gerontological professional should:
- Obtain consent solely from the legal next of kin
- Use simplified language, assess comprehension, and involve the client to the maximum extent possible (Correct answer)
- Skip formal consent because capacity is already compromised
- Defer all decisions to the attending physician
Correct answer: Use simplified language, assess comprehension, and involve the client to the maximum extent possible
Even with early dementia, individuals often retain partial capacity; consent should involve the client as much as possible using accessible communication.
Question 7: The NASW Code of Ethics standard most relevant to gerontological professionals working with older adults emphasizes:
- Prioritizing institutional efficiency over individual client needs
- Commitment to clients' self-determination and dignity (Correct answer)
- Limiting services to clients who have documented advance directives
- Avoiding advocacy roles to maintain professional neutrality
Correct answer: Commitment to clients' self-determination and dignity
The NASW Code centers client self-determination, dignity, and worth as primary obligations for social workers across all practice settings.
BCG Professional Ethics & Standards 2
A gerontological social worker discovers that an elderly client with mild cognitive impairment has been making large financial gifts to a new acquaintance.
What is the MOST appropriate initial action?