NCCAP Resident Assessment 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The Functional Assessment Staging Test (FAST) is most useful for activity professionals when working with residents who have:
- Traumatic brain injury
- Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (Correct answer)
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- Spinal cord injuries
Correct answer: Alzheimer's disease and related dementias
The FAST scale stages the progression of Alzheimer's disease, helping activity professionals match programming to current functional ability.
Question 2: A resident's care plan states she was a retired schoolteacher who loves reading. During assessment, the activity professional learns she now has low vision. The MOST appropriate intervention is:
- Discontinue literacy-based activities from the care plan
- Provide large-print books, audiobooks, or magnification devices (Correct answer)
- Refer her exclusively to the vision specialist before any activities
- Document that literary activities are contraindicated
Correct answer: Provide large-print books, audiobooks, or magnification devices
Providing adaptive materials like large print or audiobooks maintains meaningful engagement with a lifelong interest despite vision changes.
Question 3: Which of the following best describes 'baseline data' in the context of resident activity assessment?
- The minimum number of activities a resident must attend weekly
- Initial assessment information used as a reference point to measure future changes (Correct answer)
- A standardized score derived from MDS Section F responses
- Staff observations recorded during the first activity session
Correct answer: Initial assessment information used as a reference point to measure future changes
Baseline data establishes the resident's initial status at admission and is used to track progress or decline over time.
Question 4: Under OBRA '87 regulations, nursing facilities must ensure each resident receives activities that are:
- Primarily recreational and entertainment-focused
- Consistent with the resident's interests, abilities, and goals (Correct answer)
- Scheduled at least five days per week
- Approved in advance by the attending physician
Correct answer: Consistent with the resident's interests, abilities, and goals
OBRA '87 mandates that activity programs be individualized to each resident's interests, current abilities, and personal goals.
Question 5: During an activity assessment interview, a resident becomes tearful when discussing her former role as a mother. The activity professional should:
- End the interview immediately and reschedule
- Acknowledge the emotion, offer support, and continue at the resident's pace (Correct answer)
- Skip family-related questions to avoid further distress
- Document 'emotionally unstable, unable to complete assessment'
Correct answer: Acknowledge the emotion, offer support, and continue at the resident's pace
Acknowledging emotions and proceeding at the resident's pace demonstrates empathy and ensures a thorough, person-centered assessment.
Question 6: Which professional discipline is MOST likely to provide activity professionals with information about a resident's swallowing precautions that could affect participation in food-related activities?
- Physical therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Speech-language pathology (Correct answer)
- Social work
Correct answer: Speech-language pathology
Speech-language pathologists assess and manage dysphagia and swallowing disorders, which are critical to know for food-based programming.
Question 7: A resident scores in the severe range on the Brief Interview for Mental Status (BIMS). How should this affect the activity assessment process?
- The assessment should be completed entirely through staff observation and family interview
- The activity professional should use the BIMS score alone to plan all programming
- The activity professional should supplement with direct observation and proxy information (Correct answer)
- Formal activity assessment is waived for residents with severe cognitive impairment
Correct answer: The activity professional should supplement with direct observation and proxy information
When cognitive impairment is severe, supplementing limited self-report with observation and proxy interviews ensures a complete assessment picture.
NCCAP Resident Assessment 3
The Functional Assessment Staging Test (FAST) is most useful for activity professionals when working with residents who have: