End-of-Life & Palliative Care Flashcards

Which of the following BEST describes the role of the healthcare aide in a hospice setting?

Answer: Providing personal care and reporting changes to the nurse

The aide's scope includes personal care, comfort measures, and accurate observation and reporting — not clinical decision-making.

A patient with a DNR order goes into cardiac arrest. The aide should:

Answer: Notify the nurse and provide comfort measures per the care plan

A DNR order means no resuscitation; the aide should notify the nurse and follow the established comfort-focused care plan.

Which of the following is an example of anticipatory grief?

Answer: A spouse feeling sadness and loss while the patient is still alive

Anticipatory grief occurs when family members begin to mourn before the actual death of their loved one.

When a dying patient reports severe uncontrolled pain, the aide's FIRST action is to:

Answer: Immediately notify the nurse

Uncontrolled pain is an urgent finding that must be reported to the nurse immediately for clinical intervention.

A palliative care patient asks the aide if she is going to die soon. The BEST response is:

Answer: "I'm not sure — what are you feeling or thinking about?"

Reflective, open-ended responses invite the patient to share her concerns without making promises or dismissing her fears.

Which sense is believed to be the LAST to fade as a person dies?

Answer: Hearing

Hearing is thought to persist longest; families are encouraged to speak comforting words to unconscious or actively dying patients.

A hospice aide arrives and finds that the patient has died. The aide should:

Answer: Notify the supervising nurse and remain with the family

The aide should notify the nurse immediately and provide supportive presence for the family while awaiting the nurse's arrival.