IHSS In-Home Supportive Services certified provider Provider Roles and Responsibilities 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An IHSS provider notices their recipient has an unusual bruise and seems fearful. What is the provider's primary responsibility?
- Ignore it to avoid conflict with the recipient
- Document the observation and report suspected abuse to Adult Protective Services (Correct answer)
- Discuss it only with family members present
- Take a photograph and post it on social media for advice
Correct answer: Document the observation and report suspected abuse to Adult Protective Services
IHSS providers are mandated reporters and must report suspected abuse or neglect to Adult Protective Services (APS).
Question 2: Which of the following tasks is OUTSIDE the scope of an IHSS provider's authorized duties?
- Assisting the recipient with bathing
- Preparing meals for the recipient
- Providing medical treatment such as administering injections (Correct answer)
- Helping the recipient with grocery shopping
Correct answer: Providing medical treatment such as administering injections
IHSS providers are not licensed medical professionals and cannot perform medical procedures such as administering injections.
Question 3: An IHSS provider's recipient asks them to run a personal errand unrelated to the recipient's care needs. What should the provider do?
- Complete the errand since the recipient requested it
- Decline, as providers may only perform authorized tasks listed in the SOC 873 (Correct answer)
- Complete the errand and add it to the timesheet
- Ask the IHSS social worker to approve it over the phone first
Correct answer: Decline, as providers may only perform authorized tasks listed in the SOC 873
Providers may only perform tasks that are authorized in the recipient's Notice of Action (SOC 873) and approved care plan.
Question 4: How should an IHSS provider handle a situation where a recipient refuses to accept a scheduled service?
- Force the recipient to accept the service for their own safety
- Respect the recipient's right to refuse and document the refusal (Correct answer)
- Contact the police to intervene
- Immediately discharge themselves from the case
Correct answer: Respect the recipient's right to refuse and document the refusal
Recipients have the right to self-determination, including refusing services, and providers must respect and document such decisions.
Question 5: An IHSS provider is caring for a recipient who smokes inside the home. The smoke bothers the provider. What is the appropriate course of action?
- Demand the recipient stop smoking immediately
- Calmly communicate the concern to the recipient and, if unresolved, contact the social worker (Correct answer)
- Refuse to enter the home and abandon the shift
- File a formal complaint with law enforcement
Correct answer: Calmly communicate the concern to the recipient and, if unresolved, contact the social worker
Providers should respectfully communicate workplace concerns to recipients and escalate to the social worker if the issue cannot be resolved.
Question 6: What is the IHSS provider's responsibility regarding recipient confidentiality?
- Share recipient information freely with neighbors and community members
- Keep all recipient information strictly confidential and disclose only when legally required (Correct answer)
- Post updates about the recipient's health on social media to seek advice
- Share recipient details with other providers in the building
Correct answer: Keep all recipient information strictly confidential and disclose only when legally required
Providers are legally and ethically required to protect recipient privacy and may only share information in legally permitted circumstances.
Question 7: An IHSS provider realizes they made an error on a previously submitted timesheet. What should they do?
- Ignore it since it has already been submitted
- Contact IHSS and follow the correct process to correct the timesheet (Correct answer)
- Adjust future timesheets to compensate for the error
- Ask the recipient to sign a new blank timesheet
Correct answer: Contact IHSS and follow the correct process to correct the timesheet
Providers must report timesheet errors to IHSS and use the proper correction process to ensure accurate payment.
IHSS In-Home Supportive Services certified provider Provider Roles and Responsibilities 2
An IHSS provider notices their recipient has an unusual bruise and seems fearful.
What is the provider's primary responsibility?