Professional Boundaries For Caregivers Quiz!

Carlos should come back in 10-15 min for another attempt?

• True

• False

Carlos can threaten to let Jerry go hungry?

• True

• False

Susie doesn't realize that some people are offended by her profanity.

• True

• False

It is ok to accept a gift as long as it is not money.

• True

• False

Dungarvin does not have a policy in regards to gifts from individuals and their families.

• True

• False

Carlos can make Jerry go to dinner.  True or False?

• True

• False

Since they are consenting adults this is acceptable.

• True

• False

Jerry is deliberately refusing to annoy Carlos?

• True

• False

Sheila could be fired.

• True

• False

Bess may want to try to assist Polly financially because she is worried about her situation.

• True

• False

Which is not correct:

• Patient confidentiality means that we keep changes in condition a secret.

• The agency could implement safety features if the problems are reported correctly.

• Gloria could get seriously injured if her increased problems are not reported correctly.

• David could be charged with neglect for failure to report.

Which statement is false?

• Kia has lost her therapeutic relationship and crossed into a personal relationship.

• It is acceptable for Kia to do favors for the family as long as she isn't getting paid by her employer.

• Kia allowed her feelings to affect the care she was providing. Being distraught over Harry's dying may cause Kia to miss important signs.

• Harry's family will not only mourn the loss of Harry, but they will also have to mourn the loss of Kia as she will no longer be around.

Select the reasons that professional boundaries are important.

• It assures a therapeutic relationship with the client rather than a personal relationship

• It helps to ensure that you are the individual's favorite staff

• You could get into legal trouble for engaging in an intimate relationship with a client

• Caregivers treat all clients fairly

• You can get extra presents at holidays

• May reduce allegations of caregiver misconduct

Which statement is False?

• Michael intended his touch to be comforting.

• Marla was reminded of the abusive male in her past and the touch startled her.

• Marla was completely over-reacting.

• Michael should make an attempt to be more aware of what is in Marla's care plan.

• Michael's supervisor was making assumptions based on Marla's reaction.

Which statement is false?

• Melanie didn't do anything wrong.

• Melanie is not intending to be disrespectful by addressing Professor Maxwell in this way.

• Professor Maxwell is having a hard time adjusting to relying on others for much of his self-care.

• Melanie meant to be caring, yet it came off as demeaning.

Have you ever crossed or thought about crossing any professional boundaries? Have you observed others step over that line? What should a caregiver do if s/he believes s/he may be stepping over a trusted boundary? 

• Talk to your supervisor or manager
• Consider a re-assignment
• Explain to clients that you are unable to behave in certain ways due to professional guidelines (e.g. accept gifts, keep secrets, etc.)
• To protect yourself, draw a line between your work life and your private life

Polly is a 28 year-old home health aide with two children. Bess, a 90-year old widow, is one of Polly's individuals. Polly is going through a divorce and seems to be on an emotional roller coaster lately. Polly feels better when she can talk about her situation. Recently, she has begun to share her experiences with Bess, including details of her ex-husband's infidelity, his failure to pay child support, her dire financial situation, and her children's unhappiness. Bess seems to be a sympathetic "ear" for Polly and listens attentively when Polly shares her experiences.

Carlos, a 40 year-old CNA in a nursing home, often provides cares for Jerry, a 72 year-old individual with Alzheimer's disease. Carlos has come to Jerry's room to assist him to the dining room for supper.CNA Carlos says to Jerry, "It's dinnertime. Are you ready to go?" Jerry smiles at Carlos and says, "Ready." But then Jerry returns to watching TV. Carlos brings Jerry's walker to him, but Jerry continues to stare at the TV.After several attempts to get Jerry up, Carlos becomes angry. He walks out of Jerry's room, muttering to himself, "The heck with Jerry, he can just go hungry tonight. I hate it when he ignores me like that! He knows it's dinnertime. He's just trying to annoy me!"

Edward Maxwell is an 85 year-old resident of a nursing home. Professor Maxwell taught American History at the UW-Stout for many years and after retirement traveled widely with his wife. However, he is no longer able to care for himself and must rely on nursing home staff to assist him with eating, toileting, bathing, etc.A new CNA, Melanie, age 19, enters Professor Maxwell's room and says, "Good morning, Sweetie. Are we ready for our bath?" Professor Maxwell says to Melanie in a gruff voice, "I'm not having a bath today, young lady. Get out of my room!" Melanie leaves, wondering why it's her bad luck to get stuck with such a crabby old man!

Michael is a 30 year-old caregiver in a CBRF. Marla is a 25 year-old woman with cerebral palsy and a cognitive disability. Unknown to Michael, Marla was assaulted several years ago by a former boyfriend.One day, Michael walks into the kitchen and sees Marla, crying softly over her breakfast. Michael bends down and places his arm around Marla who suddenly begins to scream and cry harder. She shrinks away from Michael and looks at him with fear in her eyes. The owner of the CBRF comes out of his office and wants to know what Michael has "done" to Marla.

Susie is a 22 year-old CNA at a nursing home in a small town. She is from a large family with four older brothers and a younger sister. As a child, Susie developed an aggressive and loud manner in order to stand up to her older siblings. But her loud voice and "salty" language have now landed Susie in trouble with her supervisor.In the last few months, three different individuals have complained that Susie is being verbally abusive to them. Susie can't understand it -- she always gets her cares done on time and even helps out others. She really cares about the individuals, but she doesn't see any reason to pretend to be something she's not!

Heidi is a 40 year-old personal care worker who travels to the homes of several individuals each week. One of her individuals served is Marion, a 79 year-old single woman. Marion has no children but enjoys the company of her niece, Darla, on holidays.Marion seems very lonely to Heidi. It's clear that Marion looks forward to the caregiver's visits. For the past few months, Marion has been insisting that Heidi take gifts from her. It started with a few small things, like a candle that Heidi admired. Now, Marion is offering Heidi her dining room table and chairs. Marion jokes that if Heidi doesn't take them, she will think that Heidi doesn't love her anymore. Heidi finally agrees to take the table and chairs, justifying that the furniture will get more use at her house.

Kia is a 25 year-old hospice aide. About six months ago, she began to care for a terminally ill patient, Harry, in his home. Harry's wife, Brenda, is such a trooper and both of their children and grandchildren visit frequently. Kia admires Harry and his family -- they seem like such a nice, loving group.Last month, Harry insisted on inviting Kia to a family birthday party at Harry and Brenda's home. Kia felt flattered that Harry invited her -- she's feeling a little like family. Not only did Kia attend the party, but she stopped by on her day off to help Brenda prepare the meal and do a little vacuuming. Brenda asked Kia to pick up the birthday cake before the party, which Kia was happy to do.Last week, Harry took a turn for the worse and Kia knows the end is very near. Although Kia has 5 years experience in caring for hospice patients, she finds herself very depressed at the thought of Harry's death. She will miss Harry and his family very much.

Sheila is a 32 year-old CNA who works in a CBRF that serves individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI). One of the CBRF residents is Ray, a 25 year-old man who was in a motorcycle accident.Lately, Sheila finds herself "dressing up" more for work than usual and spending more time with Ray than other individuals. Ray enjoys jogging, so Sheila now stays late to jog with him. Sheila tells herself that she's being supportive of Ray. He seems to appreciate Sheila's efforts, and wants to hug Sheila more often. He asked her if she would like to go have pizza next week, just the two of them.Yesterday, one of the other individuals asked Sheila if she was "going steady" with Ray. Sheila's supervisor overheard the comment and now Sheila is worried that her supervisor will misunderstand her relationship with Ray.

Gloria is a 78 year-old woman with Alzheimer's-related dementia and hypertension who receives services from a home health agency. During a recent home visit, the agency RN supervisor noted that Gloria's dementia is progressing to a point where she may soon need full-time skilled nursing care. Gloria is very upset at the prospect of leaving her home and refuses to consider a different living arrangement. Yesterday, home health aid David, arrived at Gloria's home and discovered a burned dish towel in the kitchen sink. When David asked Gloria what happened, she said that someone must have left the dish towel on the burner. David also noticed that Gloria had forgotten to take her medication again. Gloria begs David not to tell anyone about the towel or the meds. David isn't sure what to do. He wants to respect Gloria's rights and maintain patient confidentiality, and he doesn't blame her for wanting to stay at home.