Ethical and Legal Issues

Question 1

abuse

Answer 1

purposeful mistreatment that causes physical, mental, emotional, or financial pain or injury to a person

Question 2

active neglect

Answer 2

purposeful failure to provide needed care, resulting in physical, mental, or emotional harm to a person.

Question 3

advance directives

Answer 3

Legal documents that allow people to decide what kind of medical care they wish to have in the event they are unable to make those decisions themselves.

Question 4

assault

Answer 4

a threat to harm a person, resulting in the person feeling fearful that he or she will be harmed.

Question 5

battery

Answer 5

the intentional touching of a person without his or her consent.

Question 6

civil law

Answer 6

private law; law between individuals.

Question 7

criminal law

Answer 7

public law; law related to committing a crime against the community.

Question 8

defamation

Answer 8

any statement (written or oral) that is not true and injures a person’s reputation.

Question 9

DNR (do-not-resuscitate)

Answer 9

an order that tells medical professionals not to perform CPR in the event of cardiac or respiratory arrest.

Question 10

domestic violence

Answer 10

physical, sexual, or emotional abuse by spouses, intimate partners, or family members.

Question 11

durable power of attorney for health care

Answer 11

a legal document that appoints someone to make the medical decisions for a person in the event he or she becomes unable to do so.

Question 12

ethics

Answer 12

the knowledge of right and wrong; standards of conduct.

Question 13

etiquette

Answer 13

the code of proper behavior and courtesy in a certain setting.

Question 14

false imprisonment

Answer 14

unlawful restraint that affects a person’s freedom of movement; includes both the threat of being physically restrained and actually being physically restrained.

Question 15

financial abuse

Answer 15

improper or illegal use of a person’s money, possessions, property, or other assets.

Question 16

HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)

Answer 16

a federal law that sets standards for protecting the privacy of patients’ health information.

Question 17

invasion of privacy

Answer 17

the violation of the right to be left alone and the right to control personal information.

Question 18

involuntary seclusion

Answer 18

the separation of a person from others against the person’s will.

Question 19

laws

Answer 19

rules set by the government to help protect the public.

Question 20

libel

Answer 20

defamation in written form.

Question 21

living will

Answer 21

a document that states the medical care a person wants, or does not want, in case he or she becomes unable to make those decisions.

Question 22

living will

Answer 22

a document that states the medical care a person wants, or does not want, in case he or she becomes unable to make those decisions.

Question 23

malpractice

Answer 23

professional misconduct that results in damage or injury to a person.

Question 24

mandated reporters

Answer 24

people who are required to report suspected or observed abuse or neglect due to their regular contact with vulnerable populations, such as the elderly in long-term care facilities.

Question 25

misappropriation

Answer 25

the act of taking what belongs to someone else and using it illegally for one’s own gain or other unauthorized purpose.

Question 26

NATCEP (Nurse Aide Training and Competency Evaluation Program)

Answer 26

part of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (OBRA) that sets minimum requirements for training and testing nursing assistants.

Question 27

negligence

Answer 27

actions, or the failure to act or provide proper care for a person, resulting in unintended injury.

Question 28

OBRA (Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act)

Answer 28

law passed by the federal government that includes minimum standards for nursing assistant training, staffing requirements, resident assessment instructions, and information on rights for residents.

Question 29

ombudsman

Answer 29

a legal advocate for residents in long-term care facilities.

Question 30

passive neglect

Answer 30

the unintentional failure to provide needed care, resulting in physical, men-tal, or emotional harm to a person.

Question 31

physical abuse

Answer 31

any treatment, intentional or unintentional, that causes harm or injury to a person’s body.

Question 32

protected health information (PHI)

Answer 32

information that can be used to identify a person and relate to his or her past, present, or future physical or mental condition, including any health care the patient has had, or payment for that health care.

Question 33

psychological abuse

Answer 33

emotional harm caused by threatening, frightening, isolating, intimidating, humiliating, or insulting a person.

Question 34

Residents’ Council

Answer 34

a group of residents who meet regularly to discuss issues related to the long-term care facility.

Question 35

Residents’ Rights

Answer 35

Rights identified in the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (OBRA) relate to how residents must be treated while living in a long-term care facility; they provide an ethical code of conduct for healthcare workers.

Question 36

scope of practice

Answer 36

defines the tasks that healthcare providers are legally permitted to perform as allowed by state or federal law.

Question 37

sexual abuse

Answer 37

the forcing of unwanted sexual acts or behavior on a person.

Question 38

sexual harassment

Answer 38

any unwelcome sexual advances or behavior that creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment.

Question 39

slander

Answer 39

defamation in oral form.

Question 40

substance abuse

Answer 40

the repeated use of legal or illegal drugs, cigarettes, or alcohol in a way that is harmful to oneself or others.

Question 41

verbal abuse

Answer 41

the use of language that threatens, embarrasses, or insults a person