IHSS In-Home Supportive Services certified provider Provider Roles and Responsibilities 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What must an IHSS provider do before beginning work with a new recipient?
- Start working immediately to show initiative
- Complete provider enrollment, orientation, and receive an approved Notice of Action (Correct answer)
- Ask a neighbor to vouch for the recipient's needs
- Begin services while waiting for paperwork to be processed
Correct answer: Complete provider enrollment, orientation, and receive an approved Notice of Action
Providers must complete enrollment and orientation and wait for official IHSS authorization before providing services.
Question 2: Which of the following best describes the role of an IHSS provider in relation to the recipient?
- The provider makes all decisions about the recipient's daily life
- The provider is a supportive employee who assists the recipient in living independently (Correct answer)
- The provider acts as the recipient's legal guardian
- The provider supervises the recipient's medical treatment
Correct answer: The provider is a supportive employee who assists the recipient in living independently
IHSS providers are employees of the recipient who assist with tasks that allow the recipient to remain safely in their own home.
Question 3: An IHSS provider's recipient has a new diagnosis and needs different types of assistance. Who is responsible for updating the care plan?
- The provider updates the care plan independently
- The recipient contacts IHSS to request a reassessment by a social worker (Correct answer)
- The provider's union representative updates the care plan
- The recipient's neighbor handles the request
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 4: When providing domestic services to an IHSS recipient, what standard should the provider maintain?
- The provider's own personal standard of cleanliness
- The recipient's standard of cleanliness and their preferences (Correct answer)
- The minimum standard set by the provider's family
- Whatever is easiest for the provider to accomplish
Correct answer: The recipient's standard of cleanliness and their preferences
Services should be performed according to the recipient's preferences and standards since the goal is to support their independence and autonomy.
Question 5: An IHSS provider wants to take a two-week vacation. What must they do to ensure the recipient's care is not interrupted?
- Simply not show up and assume the recipient will manage
- Notify the recipient in advance so alternative care arrangements can be made (Correct answer)
- Hire a temporary replacement without notifying IHSS
- Ask another IHSS recipient to swap providers temporarily
Correct answer: Notify the recipient in advance so alternative care arrangements can be made
Providers must give adequate notice to recipients when they are unavailable so the recipient can arrange backup care.
Question 6: Which activity is an example of an IHSS paramedical service that requires prior approval?
- Grocery shopping
- Meal preparation
- Wound care or catheter maintenance (Correct answer)
- Laundry services
Correct answer: Wound care or catheter maintenance
Paramedical services such as wound care or catheter maintenance require specific authorization and training before an IHSS provider can perform them.
Question 7: What should an IHSS provider do if a recipient's condition deteriorates suddenly during a home visit?
- Continue with the scheduled tasks and address it at the next visit
- Call 911 immediately if it is an emergency and notify the recipient's emergency contact (Correct answer)
- Transport the recipient to a clinic using their own vehicle
- Contact the IHSS office and wait for instructions before taking any action
Correct answer: Call 911 immediately if it is an emergency and notify the recipient's emergency contact
In a medical emergency, the provider must call 911 immediately to ensure the recipient receives timely professional medical care.
IHSS In-Home Supportive Services certified provider Provider Roles and Responsibilities 3
What must an IHSS provider do before beginning work with a new recipient?