IHSS Recipient Rights and Communication 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An IHSS recipient tells their provider they do not want family members informed about their care decisions. What must the provider do?
- Notify family anyway for safety reasons
- Respect the recipient's confidentiality and withhold information from family (Correct answer)
- Ask the recipient's doctor to decide
- Report the situation to IHSS immediately
Correct answer: Respect the recipient's confidentiality and withhold information from family
Recipients have the right to confidentiality, and providers must respect their wishes about who receives information about their care.
Question 2: A recipient who is deaf communicates using American Sign Language. As their IHSS provider, you do not know ASL. What is the best course of action?
- Communicate only through written notes indefinitely
- Arrange for an interpreter or use assistive communication tools (Correct answer)
- Ask a neighbor to interpret
- Reduce services since communication is difficult
Correct answer: Arrange for an interpreter or use assistive communication tools
Providers must support effective communication for recipients with disabilities, including arranging for appropriate interpreters or assistive tools.
Question 3: Which of the following is an example of a recipient exercising their right to self-determination?
- The provider chooses the recipient's meals for them
- The recipient decides to decline a recommended service (Correct answer)
- The provider sets the recipient's daily schedule
- The county selects which provider a recipient must use
Correct answer: The recipient decides to decline a recommended service
Self-determination means recipients make their own choices about services, including the right to decline recommended services.
Question 4: A recipient asks you to keep their medical diagnosis private from your supervisor. What should you do?
- Share it with your supervisor as required procedure
- Honor the request since diagnosis is protected health information (Correct answer)
- Post a notice for other providers in the home
- Call the county to ask for permission to disclose
Correct answer: Honor the request since diagnosis is protected health information
Medical diagnoses are protected health information under HIPAA and California law, and providers must keep such information confidential.
Question 5: If a recipient disagrees with a change to their IHSS hours, what is their primary right?
- They must accept the county's decision without question
- They have the right to a fair hearing to appeal the decision (Correct answer)
- They can only ask their provider to intervene
- They must wait 90 days before taking any action
Correct answer: They have the right to a fair hearing to appeal the decision
IHSS recipients have the right to request a state fair hearing to appeal decisions about their authorized services.
Question 6: An IHSS provider notices a recipient seems confused about their rights during an assessment. What is the appropriate response?
- Complete the assessment without interruption
- Encourage the recipient to ask questions and suggest they contact IHSS or an advocate (Correct answer)
- Tell the recipient their rights do not apply during assessments
- Skip the assessment and reschedule
Correct answer: Encourage the recipient to ask questions and suggest they contact IHSS or an advocate
Providers should support recipients in understanding and exercising their rights, including directing them to advocacy resources.
Question 7: Which behavior by a provider violates a recipient's right to dignity?
- Knocking before entering a room
- Using a condescending tone when speaking to the recipient (Correct answer)
- Asking the recipient for their preferences
- Completing tasks at the recipient's requested pace
Correct answer: Using a condescending tone when speaking to the recipient
Using a condescending tone disrespects the recipient's dignity, which all IHSS providers are required to uphold.
IHSS Recipient Rights and Communication 2
An IHSS recipient tells their provider they do not want family members informed about their care decisions.
What must the provider do?