Free HHA Patient Rights and Ethics Questions and Answers 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A home health aide witnesses another aide speaking rudely to a patient. The correct action is:
- Ignore it — it is not your concern
- Report the incident to the supervisor as it may constitute verbal abuse, a violation of the patient's rights (Correct answer)
- Confront the other aide in front of the patient
- Tell the patient to handle it themselves
Correct answer: Report the incident to the supervisor as it may constitute verbal abuse, a violation of the patient's rights
Verbal abuse violates patient rights and abuse reporting laws. All health workers are mandatory reporters; failing to report known abuse makes the observer complicit.
Question 2: Informed consent in home health care means:
- The patient signs forms without reading them
- The patient has received understandable information about their care, understands it, and agrees voluntarily (Correct answer)
- The family provides consent for all procedures
- Consent is only needed for surgical procedures
Correct answer: The patient has received understandable information about their care, understands it, and agrees voluntarily
Informed consent requires disclosure of information, patient comprehension, and voluntary agreement — and applies to all care procedures, not just surgery.
Question 3: What does HIPAA protect?
- Only hospital patient records
- The privacy and security of individually identifiable health information in any form (Correct answer)
- Only electronic health records
- Health insurance billing records only
Correct answer: The privacy and security of individually identifiable health information in any form
HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) protects all forms of individually identifiable health information — oral, written, or electronic — from unauthorized disclosure.
Question 4: A patient has a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order. If the patient stops breathing, the aide should:
- Begin CPR immediately regardless of the order
- Follow the DNR order, call 911, stay with the patient, and contact the supervisor immediately (Correct answer)
- Call the family to obtain permission before acting
- Administer CPR only if family members insist
Correct answer: Follow the DNR order, call 911, stay with the patient, and contact the supervisor immediately
A legally executed DNR order must be honored. The aide calls emergency services (who will also honor the DNR with proper documentation), stays with the patient, and notifies the supervisor.
Question 5: Neglect in home health care is defined as:
- Providing extra services beyond the care plan
- Failure to provide necessary care, resulting in harm or risk of harm to the patient (Correct answer)
- Being strict about care plan compliance
- Reporting patient concerns to the supervisor
Correct answer: Failure to provide necessary care, resulting in harm or risk of harm to the patient
Neglect is the failure to fulfill a caregiving obligation — including withholding food, hygiene, medical care, or supervision — and is a form of elder/dependent-person abuse.
Question 6: A patient has the right to refuse care. If the patient refuses their bath, the aide should:
- Bathe the patient against their will because hygiene is essential
- Respect the refusal, explain the importance of the care, document the refusal, and report to the supervisor (Correct answer)
- Leave without providing any care for the day
- Call 911 to report the patient
Correct answer: Respect the refusal, explain the importance of the care, document the refusal, and report to the supervisor
Competent patients have the legal and ethical right to refuse any treatment or care. The aide documents the refusal, informs the supervisor, and continues other aspects of care that are accepted.
Free HHA Patient Rights and Ethics Questions and Answers 2
A home health aide witnesses another aide speaking rudely to a patient.
The correct action is: