IHSS In-Home Supportive Services Certified Provider — Questions and Answers

Question 1: Which of the following is an example of a domestic service that may be included in an IHSS care plan?

Performing light housekeeping and laundry (Correct answer)
Making medical decisions for the recipient
Providing physical therapy exercises
Administering prescription medications

Correct answer: Performing light housekeeping and laundry

Light housekeeping and laundry are domestic services that can be authorized in an IHSS care plan when the recipient's disability prevents them from performing these tasks independently.

Question 2: What is the consequence for an IHSS provider who fails to submit required enrollment paperwork within the county's deadline?

They are placed in a probationary enrollment status
The recipient's services are automatically suspended
Their enrollment application is withdrawn and they must restart the process (Correct answer)
They are fined by the state

Correct answer: Their enrollment application is withdrawn and they must restart the process

Failure to complete enrollment paperwork by the deadline results in the application being withdrawn, requiring the provider to start over.

Question 3: An IHSS recipient has authorized hours for cooking. The recipient asks the provider to teach cooking classes to neighborhood seniors in the home. The provider should:

Agree, since teaching is educational and beneficial
Ask the county social worker for written permission first
Agree only if no payment is involved
Decline, as this is beyond the scope of authorized IHSS services (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Decline, as this is beyond the scope of authorized IHSS services

Teaching classes to third parties is not an authorized IHSS service regardless of how beneficial it may seem.

Question 4: Which of the following best explains why IHSS providers must stick strictly to authorized tasks?

To reduce the physical burden on the provider
To ensure accountability, prevent fraud, and protect both the recipient and provider (Correct answer)
To limit the recipient's ability to request inappropriate services
To comply with union requirements for home care workers

Correct answer: To ensure accountability, prevent fraud, and protect both the recipient and provider

Strict adherence to authorized tasks protects recipients from abuse, prevents program fraud, and shields providers from legal liability.

Question 5: A recipient is prescribed a metered-dose inhaler (MDI) for asthma. As a provider, you notice they are not using a spacer device that was prescribed. You should:

Contact the pharmacy to return the spacer
Show them how to use it without the spacer since it is more convenient
Assume the spacer is optional and do not mention it
Remind the recipient to use the spacer as prescribed and report the issue to your supervisor (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Remind the recipient to use the spacer as prescribed and report the issue to your supervisor

A spacer is prescribed to improve medication delivery to the lungs; providers should encourage its use and report non-compliance.

Question 6: Which documentation must an IHSS provider keep accurate and submit on time?

A written daily journal of personal observations about the recipient
Timesheets that accurately reflect the actual hours worked (Correct answer)
Grocery receipts from shopping trips for the recipient
Monthly progress reports about the recipient's health status

Correct answer: Timesheets that accurately reflect the actual hours worked

Accurate and timely timesheet submission is a fundamental provider obligation required for proper payment and program compliance.

Question 7: Which federal law makes it a crime to submit false claims to a government program like IHSS?

The False Claims Act (Correct answer)
The Social Security Act
The Americans with Disabilities Act
The Fair Labor Standards Act

Correct answer: The False Claims Act

The False Claims Act imposes civil and criminal liability on those who knowingly submit false or fraudulent claims to federal programs.

Question 8: A provider is hired to care for a recipient. The recipient's son, who is not an authorized provider, performs the care duties for a week while the main provider is on vacation. The son asks the main provider to submit a timesheet for that week and then pay him in cash. This practice is known as:

Timesheet Forging
Subcontracting (Correct answer)
Check Splitting
Authorized Delegation

Correct answer: Subcontracting

Subcontracting occurs when a registered provider claims hours and receives payment for work that was actually performed by another, unauthorized individual. This is a form of fraud, as only enrolled and approved providers can be paid for rendering IHSS services.

Question 9: A provider who moves to a different county in California must do which of the following regarding their IHSS enrollment?

Notify the new county; enrollment transfers automatically
Contact CDSS directly to update their record
Notify both the old and new county to transfer enrollment (Correct answer)
Re-enroll from scratch in the new county

Correct answer: Notify both the old and new county to transfer enrollment

Providers moving between counties should notify both counties so enrollment can be properly transferred.

Question 10: Under California law, IHSS recipients who are adults have the right to make decisions that others might consider unwise. This principle is known as:

Protective supervision
Conservatorship
Mandatory compliance
Informed self-determination (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Informed self-determination

Informed self-determination recognizes that competent adults have the right to make their own choices, even those considered unwise by others.

Question 11: Which action represents a violation of a recipient's right to free choice in IHSS?

Informing the recipient of available service options
Asking the recipient which provider they prefer
Pressuring a recipient to accept services they have refused (Correct answer)
Offering the recipient options for how to complete a task

Correct answer: Pressuring a recipient to accept services they have refused

Pressuring recipients to accept refused services violates their right to free choice and self-determination under IHSS program rules.

Question 12: An IHSS recipient directs their provider to perform a task that the provider believes is unsafe. What should the provider do?

Perform the task as directed without question
Contact the recipient's family to override the recipient's request
Refuse the task without explanation and leave the home
Express their concern to the recipient and, if necessary, consult the IHSS social worker for guidance (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Express their concern to the recipient and, if necessary, consult the IHSS social worker for guidance

Providers should communicate safety concerns to the recipient and seek social worker guidance if needed, while respecting recipient autonomy.

Question 13: A recipient's medication causes dizziness. As an IHSS provider, what is the safest approach when assisting them to the bathroom?

Wait until the dizziness fully passes before assisting
Have the recipient use a wheelchair even if they normally walk
Have the recipient hold the wall while walking independently
Walk closely beside the recipient and offer a steadying arm (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Walk closely beside the recipient and offer a steadying arm

Walking closely beside the recipient and offering a steadying arm provides immediate physical support while preserving the recipient's independence and dignity.

Question 14: A recipient begins having a grand mal (tonic-clonic) seizure. What should the provider do?

Place a hard object between the recipient's teeth to protect their tongue
Hold the recipient down firmly to prevent injury from convulsions
Clear the area of hazards, cushion the head, and time the seizure (Correct answer)
Give the recipient water immediately after the convulsions stop

Correct answer: Clear the area of hazards, cushion the head, and time the seizure

During a seizure, the provider should protect the recipient from injury by clearing the area, cushioning the head, and timing the event to report to medical staff.

Question 15: An IHSS provider realizes they accidentally submitted a timesheet with an extra hour included. The best course of action is to:

Notify the recipient but take no other action
Submit a larger timesheet next period to offset it
Ignore it since the overpayment is small
Contact the county IHSS office to correct the error immediately (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Contact the county IHSS office to correct the error immediately

Reporting and correcting accidental overpayments promptly demonstrates good faith and prevents unintentional fraud.

Question 16: Under what circumstance may an IHSS provider legally share information about a recipient with a third party?

Whenever a family member requests information about the recipient
When a neighbor or friend expresses concern about the recipient
Only with the recipient's written consent or as required by law (Correct answer)
Whenever they believe it would help the recipient

Correct answer: Only with the recipient's written consent or as required by law

Recipient information is confidential and may only be disclosed with the recipient's consent or when legally required, such as mandatory reporting obligations.

Question 17: Which situation represents a provider staying within authorized boundaries?

Assisting the recipient to dress and groom themselves (Correct answer)
Walking the recipient's dog while the recipient rests
Completing minor home repairs requested by the recipient
Buying groceries for the recipient's adult child

Correct answer: Assisting the recipient to dress and groom themselves

Dressing and grooming assistance is a standard authorized IHSS personal care service performed directly for the recipient.

Question 18: An IHSS recipient disagrees with the number of hours authorized in their care plan. What is the appropriate way to challenge this decision?

Contact the provider's union representative
Submit a complaint to the federal government
Have the provider work extra hours and log them anyway
File a state fair hearing request within the specified timeframe on the NOA (Correct answer)

Correct answer: File a state fair hearing request within the specified timeframe on the NOA

Recipients have the right to appeal authorized hours by requesting a state fair hearing, which must be requested within the timeframe stated on the Notice of Action.

Question 19: What should a provider do if a recipient's family member pressures them to share the recipient's private health information?

Refuse to share, citing the recipient's right to privacy (Correct answer)
Share the information to maintain a good relationship with the family
Ask the county for permission before deciding
Share only general health information, not specifics

Correct answer: Refuse to share, citing the recipient's right to privacy

Providers must protect recipient confidentiality regardless of family pressure, as recipients have the right to privacy about their health information.

Question 20: An IHSS provider's recipient has a new diagnosis and needs different types of assistance. Who is responsible for updating the care plan?

The recipient contacts IHSS to request a reassessment by a social worker (Correct answer)
The provider updates the care plan independently
The recipient's neighbor handles the request
The provider's union representative updates the care plan

Correct answer: The recipient contacts IHSS to request a reassessment by a social worker

The recipient must contact IHSS to request a reassessment when their needs change; only an IHSS social worker can update the authorized hours and tasks.

Question 21: How many pay periods are in a standard IHSS monthly pay cycle?

One
Three
Two (Correct answer)
Four

Correct answer: Two

IHSS operates on a semi-monthly (twice per month) pay schedule, resulting in two pay periods per month.

Question 22: A provider suspects a recipient is being coerced by a housemate into giving away money. What type of abuse is this?

Physical abuse
Financial exploitation (Correct answer)
Self-neglect
Medical neglect

Correct answer: Financial exploitation

Coercing someone into giving away money constitutes financial exploitation, a reportable form of elder or dependent adult abuse.

Question 23: An IHSS recipient refuses a shower on a particular day. The provider is concerned about hygiene. What should the provider do?

Insist the recipient shower for health and safety
Stop providing hygiene services altogether
Respect the refusal and document it; offer again another time (Correct answer)
Call the county to override the recipient's decision

Correct answer: Respect the refusal and document it; offer again another time

Competent recipients have the right to refuse personal care services; providers must respect refusals while documenting them and offering services again later.

Question 24: Which of the following is a core responsibility of the IHSS provider regarding the recipient's personal information?

Maintaining strict confidentiality about the recipient's health and personal affairs. (Correct answer)
Posting general updates about their work on social media without using names.
Sharing information with the recipient's family to coordinate care.
Discussing the recipient's condition with other providers for advice.

Correct answer: Maintaining strict confidentiality about the recipient's health and personal affairs.

IHSS providers are bound by law to maintain the confidentiality of all recipient information, including their health status, services received, and personal affairs. Sharing this information without the recipient's written consent is a violation of privacy laws like HIPAA and can result in legal penalties.

Question 25: An IHSS provider overhears a colleague boasting about working hours they didn't actually work. What is the ethical response?

Report the suspected fraud to the appropriate authority (Correct answer)
Join in since the practice seems common
Warn the colleague privately but take no further action
Say nothing to avoid workplace conflict

Correct answer: Report the suspected fraud to the appropriate authority

Timesheet fraud harms the IHSS program and must be reported; staying silent makes one complicit in wrongdoing.

Question 26: What is the purpose of an IHSS fraud hotline?

To allow anyone to report suspected fraud, waste, or abuse in the IHSS program anonymously (Correct answer)
To help providers negotiate higher pay rates
To schedule home visits by county caseworkers
To dispute denied timesheet payments

Correct answer: To allow anyone to report suspected fraud, waste, or abuse in the IHSS program anonymously

IHSS fraud hotlines give the public, providers, and recipients a confidential way to report suspected misconduct without fear of retaliation.

Question 27: How should a provider document their health observations about a recipient?

Only when the recipient requests that a note be made
In personal shorthand notes that only the provider understands
Using personal opinions and interpretations about the cause of symptoms
In objective, factual terms describing exactly what was seen, heard, or measured (Correct answer)

Correct answer: In objective, factual terms describing exactly what was seen, heard, or measured

Health documentation must be objective and factual, describing observable signs rather than personal interpretations or diagnoses.

Question 28: A recipient asks their provider to speak more slowly because they have difficulty processing fast speech. The provider should:

Refer the recipient to a speech therapist
Decline since adjusting speech is not a job requirement
Communicate only through written notes going forward
Adjust their speaking pace to meet the recipient's communication needs (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Adjust their speaking pace to meet the recipient's communication needs

Providers must adapt their communication style to meet each recipient's individual needs, including adjusting speaking pace for those with processing difficulties.

Question 29: You notice a strong smell of gas in a recipient's home. What should you do first?

Open windows and doors, then light a candle to check for leaks
Call 911 from the home's landline before evacuating
Turn off all gas appliances and call the gas company from inside
Get the recipient out of the home immediately without using light switches (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Get the recipient out of the home immediately without using light switches

Electrical sparks from light switches or phones can ignite gas, so the priority is to evacuate without activating any electrical devices, then call for help from outside.

IHSS In-Home Supportive Services Certified Provider

The IHSS provider competency assessment evaluates knowledge required to deliver in-home supportive services in California, covering provider duties, recipient rights, authorized tasks, care planning, health and safety, and fraud prevention as taught in the mandatory CDSS provider orientation.

Questions

35 min

Time Limit

70%

To Pass

Checking for saved progress...

Exam Rules

You can skip questions and return to them later
Flag questions for review before submitting
No feedback shown until you submit the entire exam
Unanswered questions count as wrong — answer everything
10 pretest questions are mixed in and don't affect your score
Timer auto-submits when time runs out
Your progress is auto-saved every 30 seconds