PCA Ethical and Legal Responsibilities 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A client asks the PCA to witness their will. What should the PCA do?
- Witness the will as a favor to help the client
- Decline and explain that PCAs should not witness legal documents for clients (Correct answer)
- Call the agency attorney to assist
- Witness it only if the client has no family
Correct answer: Decline and explain that PCAs should not witness legal documents for clients
PCAs should not witness legal documents such as wills because it creates a conflict of interest and potential liability.
Question 2: What is the primary purpose of a client's care plan in relation to the PCA's legal responsibilities?
- It is a suggestion that the PCA may follow at their discretion
- It defines the authorized scope of care the PCA must follow (Correct answer)
- It is a document only physicians need to review
- It protects the agency from lawsuits
Correct answer: It defines the authorized scope of care the PCA must follow
The care plan legally defines the scope of a PCA's duties; performing tasks outside it is unauthorized.
Question 3: Which scenario describes neglect by a PCA?
- Reporting a client's fall to the supervisor
- Leaving a client who cannot transfer independently alone for several hours without supervision (Correct answer)
- Refusing to perform a task not listed in the care plan
- Documenting a client's change in condition
Correct answer: Leaving a client who cannot transfer independently alone for several hours without supervision
Abandoning a dependent client who cannot care for themselves constitutes neglect.
Question 4: A client discloses that they are being financially exploited by a relative. The PCA should:
- Advise the client to handle it within the family
- Report the disclosure to the supervisor and follow abuse reporting procedures (Correct answer)
- Contact law enforcement directly without notifying the supervisor
- Document it in the care log but take no further action
Correct answer: Report the disclosure to the supervisor and follow abuse reporting procedures
Financial exploitation is a form of elder abuse and must be reported through proper channels immediately.
Question 5: Under HIPAA, which of the following is NOT considered protected health information (PHI)?
- A client's diagnosis shared in a care conference
- A client's name and address in a medical record
- General caregiving tips published in a public health pamphlet (Correct answer)
- A client's medication list provided to another provider
Correct answer: General caregiving tips published in a public health pamphlet
General, non-identifying health information in public materials is not PHI under HIPAA.
Question 6: A PCA is asked by the client's neighbor to confirm whether the client is receiving home care services. The PCA should:
- Confirm the care since there is no harm in it
- Deny knowing the client to protect their privacy
- Decline to share any information about the client (Correct answer)
- Ask the client's permission first, then tell the neighbor
Correct answer: Decline to share any information about the client
Even confirming that someone receives home care services can violate confidentiality without the client's explicit consent.
Question 7: Which principle guides a PCA to respect a client's choices even when those choices may not seem optimal?
- Beneficence
- Non-maleficence
- Client autonomy (Correct answer)
- Fidelity
Correct answer: Client autonomy
Client autonomy means respecting the individual's right to make their own decisions about their care and lifestyle.
PCA Ethical and Legal Responsibilities 3
A client asks the PCA to witness their will.
What should the PCA do?