RCFE Resident Care 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A resident with dementia becomes agitated and starts hitting a staff member. What is the best immediate response?
- Stay calm, step back to a safe distance, and use a gentle redirecting technique (Correct answer)
- Physically restrain the resident to prevent injury
- Raise your voice firmly to stop the behavior
- Leave the room immediately and lock the door
Correct answer: Stay calm, step back to a safe distance, and use a gentle redirecting technique
De-escalation through calm demeanor and gentle redirection is the safest first response for dementia-related aggression.
Question 2: An RCFE resident's family asks staff to not tell the resident about a recent terminal diagnosis. What should the staff do?
- Consult the administrator and follow the resident's own wishes, as residents have the right to know their health status (Correct answer)
- Honor the family's request to reduce the resident's distress
- Immediately inform the resident to uphold transparency
- Defer entirely to the attending physician's preference
Correct answer: Consult the administrator and follow the resident's own wishes, as residents have the right to know their health status
Residents have the right to information about their own health; staff should consult the administrator and respect the resident's expressed wishes.
Question 3: What is the primary purpose of an RCFE maintaining a 24-hour activity and food log for residents?
- To track patterns that may indicate changes in health or well-being (Correct answer)
- To prove the facility is meeting licensing minimums during inspections
- To bill insurance companies for daily services rendered
- To satisfy family members who request routine updates
Correct answer: To track patterns that may indicate changes in health or well-being
Daily logs allow staff to identify trends in appetite, activity, or behavior that may signal a change in a resident's health status.
Question 4: A resident is found on the floor but denies falling. What should staff do first?
- Assess the resident for injuries before moving them (Correct answer)
- Help the resident up immediately so they are not on the floor longer than necessary
- Call 911 before doing anything else
- Ask the resident to stand up on their own to assess mobility
Correct answer: Assess the resident for injuries before moving them
Moving a resident before assessing for injury can worsen a potential fracture or spinal injury.
Question 5: Which practice best reduces the risk of infection transmission during wound care in an RCFE?
- Perform hand hygiene and wear gloves before and after the procedure (Correct answer)
- Use the same pair of gloves for multiple residents to conserve supplies
- Rinse gloves between residents rather than replacing them
- Wear gloves only when contact with blood is expected
Correct answer: Perform hand hygiene and wear gloves before and after the procedure
Hand hygiene before gloving and replacing gloves between tasks are the foundational infection control practices in wound care.
Question 6: An RCFE resident who has dysphagia is prescribed a minced-and-moist diet. A new staff member serves the resident regular-texture food. What is the most serious risk?
- Aspiration, which can lead to aspiration pneumonia or choking (Correct answer)
- Indigestion due to harder food textures
- Increased caloric intake leading to weight gain
- Social embarrassment at mealtimes
Correct answer: Aspiration, which can lead to aspiration pneumonia or choking
Serving incorrect food texture to a resident with dysphagia creates a serious aspiration risk that can result in pneumonia or death.
Question 7: When a resident requests to speak privately with an ombudsman, what must the RCFE ensure?
- That the meeting occurs without staff present and without prior notification to the facility administration (Correct answer)
- That a staff witness is present for the safety of both parties
- That administration reviews any written materials the ombudsman brings
- That family members are notified before the meeting takes place
Correct answer: That the meeting occurs without staff present and without prior notification to the facility administration
Residents have the right to meet privately with an ombudsman without interference or monitoring by facility staff.
RCFE Resident Care 3
A resident with dementia becomes agitated and starts hitting a staff member.
What is the best immediate response?