MACE Patient Care & Communication Skills 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A resident refuses to take their prescribed medication. What is the medication aide's first action?
- Crush the medication and mix it into food without telling the resident
- Document the refusal and notify the nurse immediately (Correct answer)
- Threaten to report the refusal to the doctor
- Administer the medication anyway to protect the resident's health
Correct answer: Document the refusal and notify the nurse immediately
Medication refusal must be documented and reported to the supervising nurse so appropriate follow-up can be arranged.
Question 2: When communicating with a resident who has hearing loss, the medication aide should:
- Shout loudly into the resident's ear
- Face the resident, speak slowly, and use a normal tone (Correct answer)
- Write all communication on paper and refuse to speak
- Speak quickly to minimize the resident's frustration
Correct answer: Face the resident, speak slowly, and use a normal tone
Facing the resident and speaking slowly allows them to use visual cues and lip-reading to aid comprehension.
Question 3: A resident reports chest pain after receiving medication. The aide should:
- Wait 30 minutes to see if the symptom resolves on its own
- Offer the resident a glass of water and continue rounds
- Notify the nurse immediately and stay with the resident (Correct answer)
- Document the complaint at the end of the shift
Correct answer: Notify the nurse immediately and stay with the resident
Chest pain is a potential emergency requiring immediate nurse notification and close monitoring of the resident.
Question 4: Which behavior best demonstrates person-centered care when administering medications?
- Preparing all medications at once to save time
- Addressing the resident by their preferred name and explaining each medication (Correct answer)
- Skipping explanations to avoid confusing the resident
- Administering medications without waking a sleeping resident
Correct answer: Addressing the resident by their preferred name and explaining each medication
Person-centered care respects individual preferences and ensures residents understand and consent to their care.
Question 5: A resident's family member demands to know what medications their loved one is taking. The aide should:
- Provide the full medication list to maintain family trust
- Tell the family to ask the nurse or charge nurse for that information (Correct answer)
- Refuse to speak with family members at any time
- Share only the medication names but not the doses
Correct answer: Tell the family to ask the nurse or charge nurse for that information
Medication information is confidential; only authorized personnel, following HIPAA guidelines, may release it to family members.
Question 6: Which technique helps ensure a resident has actually swallowed an oral medication?
- Leaving the room immediately after handing the resident the cup
- Asking the resident to open their mouth after swallowing (Correct answer)
- Trusting the resident's verbal confirmation without checking
- Charting the medication before it is administered
Correct answer: Asking the resident to open their mouth after swallowing
Checking the mouth after administration (called 'mouth check') confirms the medication was swallowed and not cheeked.
Question 7: A resident with dementia becomes agitated during medication administration. The best approach is to:
- Forcibly restrain the resident to administer the medication quickly
- Speak calmly, use simple words, and allow the resident time to settle (Correct answer)
- Skip the dose and document that the resident was uncooperative
- Ask another resident to convince them to take the medication
Correct answer: Speak calmly, use simple words, and allow the resident time to settle
A calm, gentle approach with simple communication reduces agitation and improves cooperation in residents with dementia.
MACE Patient Care & Communication Skills 2
A resident refuses to take their prescribed medication.
What is the medication aide's first action?