- Health Care Assistant Documentation and Legal Ethics Questions and Answers Flashcards
6 cards from real HCA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 - Health Care Assistant Documentation and Legal Ethics Questions and Answers flashcards as text
What does the legal principle of 'duty of care' require of an HCA?
Answer: To provide care that meets the standard a reasonably competent HCA would provide in the same circumstances
Duty of care sets a standard of reasonable competence; HCAs are legally and professionally obligated to meet this standard.
A colleague asks you to co-sign their documentation for a procedure they performed but you did not witness. What should you do?
Answer: Decline to co-sign and explain that documentation must only reflect events you personally observed or performed
Co-signing undocumented events you did not witness constitutes falsification of records, which is a serious professional and legal violation.
Under what circumstances may an HCA share a resident's personal health information with another care provider?
Answer: When sharing is necessary for the resident's treatment and is within the circle of care
The 'circle of care' allows sharing with those directly involved in providing treatment without requiring individual consent each time.
What is the correct action if an HCA makes an error in a written care record?
Answer: Draw a single line through the error, write the correction, and initial and date the change
A single line through the error with initials, date, and correction maintains the integrity of the legal record.
What is 'informed consent' in the context of HCA care delivery?
Answer: The resident's right to receive enough information about a procedure to make a voluntary and capable decision to agree or refuse
Informed consent is an ongoing, resident-centred process requiring adequate information, capacity, and voluntary agreement.
What information must be included in an accurate incident report after a resident fall?
Answer: Date, time, exact location, resident's condition before and after, witnesses, and actions taken — factual observations only
Incident reports must be complete, factual, objective, and include all relevant details; opinions and self-protective omissions are inappropriate.