PCA Assisting with Daily Living Activities 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A client with arthritis struggles to button their shirt. What is the PCA's best approach?
- Button the shirt for the client as quickly as possible
- Allow the client to attempt it first and assist only as needed (Correct answer)
- Tell the client to wear pullover shirts instead
- Report the problem to the supervisor immediately
Correct answer: Allow the client to attempt it first and assist only as needed
Encouraging independence and assisting only as needed promotes the client's dignity and preserves remaining function.
Question 2: When assisting a client with oral hygiene, which action is most important?
- Using the same toothbrush for multiple clients to save supplies
- Positioning the client upright or at a 45-degree angle to prevent aspiration (Correct answer)
- Completing the task as fast as possible to save time
- Skipping flossing since it is not essential
Correct answer: Positioning the client upright or at a 45-degree angle to prevent aspiration
Positioning the client upright reduces the risk of aspiration during oral care.
Question 3: A client uses a hearing aid. When helping them get dressed in the morning, the PCA should:
- Remove the hearing aid so it doesn't get damaged during dressing
- Insert the hearing aid before beginning the dressing routine (Correct answer)
- Ignore the hearing aid since it is not part of daily living assistance
- Let the client insert the hearing aid without any assistance
Correct answer: Insert the hearing aid before beginning the dressing routine
Inserting the hearing aid first allows clear communication throughout the dressing routine.
Question 4: While assisting a client with bathing, the PCA notices redness on the client's tailbone. What should the PCA do?
- Apply lotion and say nothing unless it worsens
- Continue the bath and document the finding in the care plan later
- Report the observation to the supervisor promptly (Correct answer)
- Cover the area with a bandage without reporting it
Correct answer: Report the observation to the supervisor promptly
Redness over a bony prominence is an early sign of a pressure injury and must be reported to the supervisor promptly.
Question 5: A client is on a thickened-liquid diet. During meal assistance, the PCA should:
- Offer thin water between bites to help wash down food
- Serve only the thickened liquids specified in the care plan (Correct answer)
- Skip liquids entirely to avoid choking risk
- Use regular liquids if thickened ones are unavailable
Correct answer: Serve only the thickened liquids specified in the care plan
Thickened liquids are prescribed to reduce aspiration risk and must be followed exactly as the care plan specifies.
Question 6: Which technique best prevents back injury when assisting a client to stand from a chair?
- Bending at the waist and pulling the client up by the arms
- Using a gait belt and bending at the knees to lift with the legs (Correct answer)
- Having the client grab the PCA's neck for support
- Lifting quickly so the client spends less time off-balance
Correct answer: Using a gait belt and bending at the knees to lift with the legs
Using a gait belt and lifting with the legs protects the PCA's back and provides secure support for the client.
Question 7: A client requests to skip their scheduled bath for the day. The PCA should:
- Insist on the bath because it is in the care plan
- Respect the client's refusal and report it to the supervisor (Correct answer)
- Skip the bath and tell no one to avoid conflict
- Provide only a partial bed bath without asking again
Correct answer: Respect the client's refusal and report it to the supervisor
Clients have the right to refuse care; the PCA must honor this while reporting the refusal to the supervisor.
PCA Assisting with Daily Living Activities 2
A client with arthritis struggles to button their shirt.
What is the PCA's best approach?