HAC End-of-Life & Palliative Care 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following BEST describes the role of the healthcare aide in a hospice setting?
- Adjusting medication doses for pain management
- Providing personal care and reporting changes to the nurse (Correct answer)
- Making decisions about the patient's treatment plan
- Performing wound debridement
Correct answer: Providing personal care and reporting changes to the nurse
The aide's scope includes personal care, comfort measures, and accurate observation and reporting — not clinical decision-making.
Question 2: A patient with a DNR order goes into cardiac arrest. The aide should:
- Begin CPR immediately
- Call 911 for emergency transport
- Notify the nurse and provide comfort measures per the care plan (Correct answer)
- Wait to see if the patient recovers on his own
Correct answer: Notify the nurse and provide comfort measures per the care plan
A DNR order means no resuscitation; the aide should notify the nurse and follow the established comfort-focused care plan.
Question 3: Which of the following is an example of anticipatory grief?
- A family member crying after a loved one's death
- A spouse feeling sadness and loss while the patient is still alive (Correct answer)
- A patient refusing to eat because she misses her home
- A nurse feeling sad after a long shift
Correct answer: A spouse feeling sadness and loss while the patient is still alive
Anticipatory grief occurs when family members begin to mourn before the actual death of their loved one.
Question 4: When a dying patient reports severe uncontrolled pain, the aide's FIRST action is to:
- Administer the prescribed pain medication
- Reposition the patient and wait 30 minutes
- Immediately notify the nurse (Correct answer)
- Document the pain level and continue other tasks
Correct answer: Immediately notify the nurse
Uncontrolled pain is an urgent finding that must be reported to the nurse immediately for clinical intervention.
Question 5: A palliative care patient asks the aide if she is going to die soon. The BEST response is:
- "Don't worry, you still have a long time."
- "I'm not sure — what are you feeling or thinking about?" (Correct answer)
- "Yes, probably within the week."
- "That's a question for your doctor, I can't discuss it."
Correct answer: "I'm not sure — what are you feeling or thinking about?"
Reflective, open-ended responses invite the patient to share her concerns without making promises or dismissing her fears.
Question 6: Which sense is believed to be the LAST to fade as a person dies?
- Sight
- Taste
- Hearing (Correct answer)
- Smell
Correct answer: Hearing
Hearing is thought to persist longest; families are encouraged to speak comforting words to unconscious or actively dying patients.
Question 7: A hospice aide arrives and finds that the patient has died. The aide should:
- Begin preparing the body for transport immediately
- Notify the supervising nurse and remain with the family (Correct answer)
- Call 911 and request emergency services
- Leave the home and document the event later
Correct answer: Notify the supervising nurse and remain with the family
The aide should notify the nurse immediately and provide supportive presence for the family while awaiting the nurse's arrival.
HAC End-of-Life & Palliative Care 3
Which of the following BEST describes the role of the healthcare aide in a hospice setting?