Legal and Ethical Issues Flashcards
7 cards from real MACE practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Legal and Ethical Issues flashcards as text
A resident refuses to take their prescribed medication. What is the medication aide's correct first action?
Answer: Document the refusal and notify the nurse
Respecting a competent resident's right to refuse medication is a legal obligation; the aide must document and report to the nurse immediately.
Which action by a medication aide constitutes medication diversion?
Answer: Taking unused resident medications home
Taking controlled or any resident medications for personal use is medication diversion, a criminal offense that leads to license revocation.
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) primarily protects:
Answer: Protected health information (PHI)
HIPAA mandates safeguarding Protected Health Information (PHI), including medical records, diagnoses, and treatment details.
A medication aide witnesses a co-worker giving a resident an extra dose of pain medication 'to keep them calm.' This is an example of:
Answer: Chemical restraint and potential abuse
Using medication to subdue a resident beyond therapeutic need constitutes chemical restraint and is a form of abuse prohibited by law.
Which document gives a designated person legal authority to make healthcare decisions for a resident who lacks decision-making capacity?
Answer: Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare
A Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare appoints a healthcare proxy to make medical decisions when the resident cannot do so.
A medication aide must report suspected elder abuse to:
Answer: Adult Protective Services and/or the state survey agency
Mandatory reporting laws require suspected elder abuse to be reported to Adult Protective Services or the appropriate state agency, not left solely to a supervisor's discretion.
Informed consent for medication administration means the resident:
Answer: Understands the medication's purpose, risks, and alternatives before agreeing
Informed consent requires that the resident receive and understand information about the medication's purpose, benefits, risks, and alternatives before agreeing to take it.