Law and Ethics Practice Exam

What should be prioritized when dealing with a hesitant elderly client about moving to assisted living?

1. Respect the father's wishes and discuss alternatives to ensure safety.

2. Encourage the son to listen to the father's needs.

3. Assess for self-neglect.

4. Discuss the father's feelings about aging.

The correct answer is: Assess for self-neglect.

Prioritizing the assessment for self-neglect in dealing with a hesitant elderly client about moving to assisted living is critical because self-neglect can pose immediate risks to an individual’s health and safety. This assessment focuses on determining whether the elderly person is capable of caring for themselves adequately or if they are putting themselves at risk due to their living situation. Understanding self-neglect involves evaluating various factors, such as the person’s ability to manage personal hygiene, medical needs, nutritional intake, and overall environment. An elderly client who is hesitant to move may be doing so for a variety of reasons, including attachment to their current home, fear of losing independence, or concerns about the stigma associated with assisted living. Prioritizing the assessment of self-neglect ensures that any potential risk factors are identified without delay, allowing appropriate interventions to be put in place to safeguard the individual's well-being. In contrast, while discussing alternatives to ensure safety, listening to the father's needs, and exploring his feelings about aging are all valuable steps, they can only be fully effective after the urgent need for safety and adequate care has been assessed. By focusing on self-neglect first, a practitioner ensures that the elderly client’s immediate health and safety concerns are addressed before engaging in broader discussions about