HAC Personal Hygiene & Daily Living Assistance 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When assisting a client with dressing, which limb should be dressed FIRST if the client has a weak or paralyzed arm?
- The stronger arm first to give the client control
- The weaker or paralyzed arm first (Correct answer)
- Either arm — order does not matter
- The leg on the same side as the weaker arm first
Correct answer: The weaker or paralyzed arm first
Dressing the weaker limb first minimizes the range of motion needed and reduces discomfort when threading clothing over a limited joint.
Question 2: A client with limited mobility needs oral care but cannot rinse and spit independently. The aide should:
- Skip oral care to avoid aspiration risk
- Use a bulb syringe to force-rinse the mouth
- Use a moistened swab or small amount of toothpaste and suction or wipe away secretions (Correct answer)
- Apply toothpaste thickly and leave it in the mouth
Correct answer: Use a moistened swab or small amount of toothpaste and suction or wipe away secretions
Moistened swabs with suction or careful wiping allow safe oral hygiene for clients who cannot expectorate independently.
Question 3: The purpose of applying lotion to a client's skin after bathing is PRIMARILY to:
- Treat existing pressure injuries
- Prevent skin dryness and cracking that can lead to breakdown (Correct answer)
- Replace the need for further bathing
- Remove remaining soap residue
Correct answer: Prevent skin dryness and cracking that can lead to breakdown
Moisturizing lotion maintains skin integrity by preventing the dryness and micro-cracks that increase infection and pressure injury risk.
Question 4: When undressing a client who has a painful right shoulder injury, the aide should remove clothing by:
- Starting with the right (injured) arm first
- Starting with the left (unaffected) arm first, then slipping the garment off the right (Correct answer)
- Cutting the garment off to avoid any movement
- Asking the client to remove clothing independently regardless of pain
Correct answer: Starting with the left (unaffected) arm first, then slipping the garment off the right
Removing the unaffected side first creates slack in the garment, making removal from the injured side easier and less painful.
Question 5: A client requests to shower instead of receiving a bed bath. The aide's BEST response is to:
- Deny the request because bed baths are the standard protocol
- Honor the preference, assess safety, and assist with a shower if permitted by the care plan (Correct answer)
- Allow the shower only if the family approves
- Permit the shower but leave the client unsupervised for privacy
Correct answer: Honor the preference, assess safety, and assist with a shower if permitted by the care plan
Respecting client preferences promotes dignity, and verifying safety and care plan permissions ensures the choice is appropriate.
Question 6: Which observation made during a bed bath should the aide report to the nurse IMMEDIATELY?
- Dry skin on the elbows
- A reddened, non-blanchable area over the sacrum (Correct answer)
- Slightly long fingernails
- Mild body odor upon removal of clothing
Correct answer: A reddened, non-blanchable area over the sacrum
A non-blanchable red area over a bony prominence is a Stage 1 pressure injury and requires immediate nursing assessment and intervention.
Question 7: When providing eye care for a client with eye drainage, the aide should wipe each eye using:
- One cotton ball for both eyes, reusing as needed
- A separate cotton ball per wipe, moving from the outer corner inward
- A dry washcloth in a scrubbing motion
- A separate cotton ball per wipe, moving from the inner corner outward (Correct answer)
Correct answer: A separate cotton ball per wipe, moving from the inner corner outward
Wiping from the inner corner (near the nose) outward on each stroke with a fresh cotton ball prevents reintroducing debris near the tear duct.
HAC Personal Hygiene & Daily Living Assistance 3
When assisting a client with dressing, which limb should be dressed FIRST if the client has a weak or paralyzed arm?