Home Health Aide Competency Standards

Home Health Aide Competency Test T/F An aide may Reinforce a dressing True An aide may apply a hot pack False An aide may give an enema False An aide may administer medication False An aide may change sterile dressing False An aide may assist with change of a colostomy bag True An aide may give rectal suppository False An aide may give tubal feeding False An aide may give insulin False An aide may cut nails False In the home, it's important to be a good listener. True Always tell the patient what you are going to do before starting a procedure. True You only communicate through words False If you do not chart a task that you do for a patient, legally, it was not done. True If the patient has a new area of skin breakdown, and the nurse is coming in two days, you do not need to report the skin breakdown to your supervisor. False A rapid pulse and shortness of breath in a patient usually indicates the patient is excited and does not need to be reported to the nurse. False Always report a pulse rate if the beats per min are under 60 or over 100. True The temperature of an unconscious patient should be taken orally since they are not moving about. False Recording a patients "TPR" or vital signs is not important as long as you remember what they were. False Hand washing is the single best way to decrease the transfer of pathogens. True Gloves should be worn when handling items soiled by body fluids True The catheter drainage bag must be lower than the bladder, but not on the floor. True Diarrhea can cause dehydration and other serious complications and should be reported. True If a person complains of pain, it's important to have the patient describe the pain and then reported it to the nurse and record it in your notes. True It's normal for most people to complain of pressure, swelling, or bloating in their ankles, feet, stomach or legs. False A bedside call bell needs to be available so the bound patient can summon assistance. True Bed rails should never be used to secure vest restraints. True Smoking in bed is fine for anymore who is not confused. False For an injury with profuse bleeding, apply pressure and call for assistance. True If the patient begins to have a seizure, your first responsibility is to prevent the patient from injuring himself. True False 1/2 If the patient falls and complains of pain in his hip, you should help him to get up and walk to the bed. Every patient is the same and has the same needs and wants. False It's all right to use any item in the home without asking as long as it is for the patients personal care. False You may use the telephone in the patients home without asking permission. False It is important to keep a patient covered during a bed bath except for the part being washed. True Massaging of bony prominences helps to prevent skin breakdown by increasing the blood supply to the area. True When giving peri-care to a patient after a BM, wash using a front to back motion in order not to spread decal material to other areas. True Always transfer a patient towards his good side. True There is no need to be near an object to pick it up, just reach. False It's best to use a gait belt if a patient is unsteady. True Passive range of motion exercises are for the prevention of contractures in patients with paralyzed limbs. True During range of motion exercises, if you feel resistance or the patient complains of pain, you should continue anyway. False It's best to have a pillow between the legs of a patient with a new hip replacement. True Soy sauce is good to spice up a low salt diet False A regular diet is a well balanced diet with no restrictions True Bread and potatoes are a good source of protein False 2/2