NCCAP Ethics, Communication & Professional Standards 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under NCCAP professional standards, when an activity professional disagrees with a facility policy that affects resident quality of life, they should:
- Comply silently to avoid professional conflict
- Advocate through appropriate channels such as care conferences and administration (Correct answer)
- Encourage residents to file formal grievances on the professional's behalf
- Ignore the policy and implement their own preferred practices
Correct answer: Advocate through appropriate channels such as care conferences and administration
Ethical advocacy means raising concerns through appropriate organizational and professional channels, not unilateral action or silence.
Question 2: Which of the following best describes the principle of 'informed consent' in activity programming?
- Residents are told what activities are scheduled and expected to attend
- Residents receive enough information to voluntarily choose whether to participate in activities (Correct answer)
- Family members consent to activities on behalf of all cognitively impaired residents
- Staff document that activities were offered, regardless of whether information was explained
Correct answer: Residents receive enough information to voluntarily choose whether to participate in activities
Informed consent requires that residents receive sufficient information to make a voluntary and knowledgeable decision about participation.
Question 3: When an interdisciplinary team member challenges an activity professional's care plan recommendation, the best professional response is to:
- Defer completely to the clinical staff member's judgment
- Defend the recommendation using evidence and resident-centered rationale (Correct answer)
- Remove the recommendation to avoid team conflict
- Ask administration to resolve the disagreement outside the team meeting
Correct answer: Defend the recommendation using evidence and resident-centered rationale
Activity professionals should advocate for residents by supporting their recommendations with evidence and focusing on resident-centered outcomes.
Question 4: NCCAP's ethical standard of 'non-maleficence' in activity programming means professionals must:
- Avoid all activities that carry any level of physical risk
- Ensure that programming does not cause unnecessary harm to residents (Correct answer)
- Eliminate competitive activities that could cause emotional distress
- Restrict outdoor programming during weather with any potential hazard
Correct answer: Ensure that programming does not cause unnecessary harm to residents
Non-maleficence requires thoughtful risk management to prevent unnecessary harm, not elimination of all risk from meaningful activities.
Question 5: A resident with dementia becomes agitated during a large group activity. The ethical communication approach is to:
- Redirect the resident using a calm, reassuring, and simplified approach (Correct answer)
- Remove the resident immediately without explanation to avoid disrupting others
- Raise your voice to gain the resident's attention and refocus them
- Ask the resident's roommate to calm them since they are familiar
Correct answer: Redirect the resident using a calm, reassuring, and simplified approach
Calm redirection using simple, reassuring language is the ethical and person-centered response to agitation in dementia care.
Question 6: Which action reflects the NCCAP ethical principle of justice in activity programming?
- Offering premium activities only to residents with higher functioning levels
- Providing equitable access to programming regardless of a resident's cognitive or physical status (Correct answer)
- Prioritizing activities requested by the largest number of residents
- Scheduling activities to align with the activity professional's personal interests
Correct answer: Providing equitable access to programming regardless of a resident's cognitive or physical status
Justice requires that all residents have equitable access to activity programming regardless of ability level.
Question 7: When an activity professional suspects a resident is being financially exploited by a family member, the professional is ethically obligated to:
- Confront the family member directly during the next visit
- Report the suspicion to the appropriate supervisor or adult protective services (Correct answer)
- Monitor the situation for several weeks before taking action
- Discuss the suspicion with other residents to gather more information
Correct answer: Report the suspicion to the appropriate supervisor or adult protective services
Suspected elder abuse including financial exploitation must be reported to a supervisor and/or adult protective services per ethical and legal mandates.
NCCAP Ethics, Communication & Professional Standards 3
Under NCCAP professional standards, when an activity professional disagrees with a facility policy that affects resident quality of life, they should: