CT Hospice & Palliative Principles 2

Question 1

Which Medicare benefit condition requires a patient to forgo curative treatment to enroll in hospice?

Accepted Answer

The patient must elect the hospice benefit and waive curative treatment for the terminal illness

Answer

Medicare hospice enrollment requires the patient to elect the benefit and formally waive coverage for curative treatments related to their terminal diagnosis.

Question 2

In palliative care, the term 'total pain' was introduced by Dame Cicely Saunders to describe:

Accepted Answer

The multidimensional suffering encompassing physical, psychological, social, and spiritual components

Answer

Saunders' concept of 'total pain' recognizes that suffering in dying patients is multidimensional and must be addressed holistically.

Question 3

A hospice patient's family member insists on continuing tube feeding despite the patient's advance directive refusing artificial nutrition. The hospice team's BEST initial response is:

Accepted Answer

Explain the patient's documented wishes and facilitate a family meeting to address concerns

Answer

The hospice team should uphold the patient's documented wishes while compassionately addressing the family's fears and concerns through structured communication.

Question 4

Which of the following BEST describes the role of a hospice chaplain?

Accepted Answer

To offer spiritual care and support regardless of the patient's religious affiliation or beliefs

Answer

Hospice chaplains provide non-denominational spiritual care that respects and supports the patient's own belief system, including non-religious patients.

Question 5

The 'double effect' principle in palliative care ethics justifies administering opioids for symptom relief when:

Accepted Answer

The primary intent is symptom relief, even if death may be secondarily hastened

Answer

The doctrine of double effect permits an action with a potentially harmful secondary outcome when the primary intent is beneficial and the harm is not the means to the good.

(CT) Certified Thanatologist Practice Test

(CT) Certified Thanatologist Practice Test

CT Hospice & Palliative Principles 2