Client Consultation & Needs Analysis Flashcards

A CMC notices that a client consistently turns their head to the left and appears to have left-side spatial neglect following a stroke. Which consultation adaptation is MOST important?

Answer: Positioning key information and controls on the client's right side and recommending environmental cues on the neglected left

Spatial neglect means the client does not process stimuli on the affected side; modifications should place critical controls on the intact side and use environmental cues to compensate on the neglected side.

When prioritizing which home modifications to recommend first, the CMC should use which framework?

Answer: Urgency and risk hierarchy: life safety first, then independence, then convenience

Modifications are prioritized by the severity of harm they prevent: life-safety risks (fall prevention, egress) take precedence over functional independence gains, which precede comfort improvements.

A CMC is evaluating a rental apartment for a client with a new disability. The tenant wants modifications but the landlord is resistant. Under the Fair Housing Act, which statement is MOST accurate?

Answer: Tenants with disabilities generally have the right to make reasonable modifications at their own expense, and the landlord cannot unreasonably refuse

The Fair Housing Act allows tenants with disabilities to make reasonable modifications to their dwelling at their own expense, and landlords may not unreasonably deny this right.

A client reports that she manages fine at home but her daughter (who lives out of state) is worried and prompted the consultation. Which issue should the CMC address at the START of the consultation?

Answer: Clarifying the client's own goals and whether she wants the consultation, establishing her as the primary client

Establishing the client's own goals and consent at the outset is essential to client-centered practice, preventing the consultation from becoming driven entirely by third-party concerns.

During a needs analysis, the CMC discovers that a client who uses a power wheelchair has no accessible route from the bedroom to the only bathroom in the home. The MOST appropriate initial action is:

Answer: Document the barrier as a priority access issue and develop a modification plan addressing the inaccessible route

Documenting priority access barriers and developing a structured modification plan is the CMC's core professional response to inaccessible routes that threaten basic hygiene and dignity.

Which element of a client interview is MOST useful for uncovering unmet needs that the client does not spontaneously report?

Answer: Conducting an activity walkthrough where the client demonstrates their actual daily routine in the home

Activity walkthroughs reveal real-world performance gaps that clients may not articulate verbally, as the act of demonstration exposes hesitations, compensations, and unsafe strategies.

A CMC completes a comprehensive home assessment and identifies 14 modifications. The client states they can only afford 3 right now. The CMC should:

Answer: Collaboratively prioritize with the client, focusing funding on the modifications that address the highest safety risks first

Collaborative prioritization within budget constraints, guided by risk severity, ensures that limited resources are directed toward the modifications with the greatest impact on client safety.