NCCAP Person-Centered Care 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following BEST reflects the principle of 'personhood' as described by Tom Kitwood in dementia care?
- A person's value is determined by their cognitive capacity
- Personhood is a standing or status bestowed by others through recognition and relationship (Correct answer)
- Personhood diminishes proportionally with cognitive decline
- Personhood applies only to residents with intact communication skills
Correct answer: Personhood is a standing or status bestowed by others through recognition and relationship
Tom Kitwood defined personhood as a status conferred through relationships and recognition, entirely independent of cognitive ability.
Question 2: An activity professional notices a resident appears withdrawn and stops attending favorite activities after a family visit. The FIRST step should be:
- Report the change to the administrator
- Approach the resident privately to check in and explore what they are experiencing (Correct answer)
- Increase the resident's attendance goals in the care plan
- Notify the resident's family that attendance has declined
Correct answer: Approach the resident privately to check in and explore what they are experiencing
The first step in person-centered care is building a trusting relationship and allowing the resident to share their experience before escalating.
Question 3: Which of the following describes the 'individualized' component of the MDS activity assessment requirement?
- Activities must be tailored to each resident's specific interests, abilities, and goals (Correct answer)
- All residents must receive the same minimum number of activity hours weekly
- Activities must follow nationally standardized programming protocols
- Individualized means group activities divided by cognitive level
Correct answer: Activities must be tailored to each resident's specific interests, abilities, and goals
CMS requires that activity programming be individualized, meaning specifically tailored to each resident's assessed interests, functional level, and goals.
Question 4: A new resident with limited English proficiency is admitted. The activity professional's MOST person-centered approach is to:
- Assign the resident to the general activity calendar until a translator is available
- Collaborate with the interdisciplinary team to provide culturally appropriate programming and use interpreters to assess preferences (Correct answer)
- Observe the resident during group programs to infer preferences without formal assessment
- Place the resident with other residents who speak the same language
Correct answer: Collaborate with the interdisciplinary team to provide culturally appropriate programming and use interpreters to assess preferences
Cultural competence and the use of interpreters are essential to gathering accurate preference data and delivering meaningful, person-centered programming.
Question 5: Resident-directed care differs from staff-directed care in that it:
- Allows residents to determine their own schedules, routines, and activity choices (Correct answer)
- Gives staff authority to select activities based on therapeutic goals
- Requires residents to form activity committees
- Mandates that all programming be self-led without professional guidance
Correct answer: Allows residents to determine their own schedules, routines, and activity choices
Resident-directed care shifts decision-making authority to the resident, allowing them to shape their own routines and activity participation.
Question 6: Which of the following is a hallmark indicator that a facility has successfully implemented a person-centered culture?
- All residents attend at least three group activities per week
- Staff at all levels know residents as individuals and can describe their personal histories and preferences (Correct answer)
- Activity documentation is completed within 24 hours of every program
- The facility offers more than 20 different activity types monthly
Correct answer: Staff at all levels know residents as individuals and can describe their personal histories and preferences
A true person-centered culture is evidenced when all staff, not just activity professionals, can speak to each resident's individuality and life story.
Question 7: When a resident with moderate dementia is unable to verbalize activity preferences, the activity professional should PRIMARILY:
- Default to popular group programming for the dementia unit
- Use systematic observation of behavioral cues, past preferences from life history, and family input to guide programming (Correct answer)
- Consult the physician for activity recommendations
- Apply standardized dementia activity protocols uniformly
Correct answer: Use systematic observation of behavioral cues, past preferences from life history, and family input to guide programming
When verbal self-report is unavailable, combining behavioral observation, life history data, and family input provides the most person-centered picture of preferences.
NCCAP Person-Centered Care 4
Which of the following BEST reflects the principle of 'personhood' as described by Tom Kitwood in dementia care?