CNA Mental Health and Social Services Needs 1 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A resident who was previously social suddenly refuses to leave her room and stops eating. Which action should the CNA take FIRST?
- Notify the nurse of the behavioral change (Correct answer)
- Force the resident to join the dining room
- Assume she is just tired and check later
- Call the resident's family immediately without informing the nurse
Correct answer: Notify the nurse of the behavioral change
Sudden behavioral changes such as social withdrawal and appetite loss must be reported to the nurse promptly as they may indicate depression or another medical issue.
Question 2: Which of the following is the BEST example of therapeutic communication when a resident says 'Nobody cares about me'?
- 'That's not true, everyone here loves you.'
- 'It sounds like you're feeling alone right now. Can you tell me more?' (Correct answer)
- 'You shouldn't think that way.'
- 'I'm sure your family will visit soon.'
Correct answer: 'It sounds like you're feeling alone right now. Can you tell me more?'
Reflecting the resident's feelings and inviting them to share more is therapeutic and validates their emotional experience without dismissing it.
Question 3: A resident with dementia becomes agitated every evening around 5 PM. This pattern is BEST described as:
- Delusional disorder
- Sundowner's syndrome (Correct answer)
- Anxiety attack
- Psychosis
Correct answer: Sundowner's syndrome
Sundowner's syndrome (sundowning) refers to increased confusion and agitation in dementia patients that typically occurs in the late afternoon or evening.
Question 4: When assisting a resident with severe depression, which approach is MOST appropriate?
- Encourage the resident to 'snap out of it'
- Maintain a calm, consistent presence and provide simple activities (Correct answer)
- Leave the resident alone to rest as much as possible
- Tell the resident to think of happy memories
Correct answer: Maintain a calm, consistent presence and provide simple activities
A calm, consistent presence and simple, achievable activities help provide structure and gentle stimulation for residents with depression.
Question 5: A resident tells the CNA they are hearing voices telling them to hurt themselves. The CNA should:
- Tell the resident the voices aren't real and ignore the comment
- Report this to the nurse immediately (Correct answer)
- Distract the resident with a TV show
- Document it in the chart and wait for the next shift
Correct answer: Report this to the nurse immediately
Auditory hallucinations with self-harm content are a safety emergency and must be reported to the nurse immediately.
Question 6: Which of the following BEST describes a delusion?
- Seeing things that are not there
- A false belief that cannot be corrected by reasoning (Correct answer)
- Forgetting recent events
- Feeling extremely sad for weeks
Correct answer: A false belief that cannot be corrected by reasoning
A delusion is a fixed false belief that persists despite clear evidence to the contrary, and is common in certain mental health conditions.
Question 7: A resident insists that the staff is poisoning her food. The CNA should:
- Argue with her until she agrees the food is safe
- Refuse to bring her meals since she won't eat them
- Report this belief to the nurse and offer reassurance without arguing (Correct answer)
- Secretly switch her meals without telling anyone
Correct answer: Report this belief to the nurse and offer reassurance without arguing
The CNA should report the paranoid belief to the nurse and offer calm reassurance without engaging in arguments that reinforce the delusion.
CNA Mental Health and Social Services Needs 1 3
A resident who was previously social suddenly refuses to leave her room and stops eating.
Which action should the CNA take FIRST?