Resident Rights
What the exam expects you to know
Federal law, through OBRA, guarantees residents' rights. Residents have the right to dignity and respect, privacy, confidentiality, choice, and self-determination. They may refuse care or treatment, voice grievances without fear of retaliation, keep and use personal possessions, receive and send mail unopened, use the telephone privately, have visitors, practice their religion, manage their own money, be informed of their condition and participate in the care plan, and be free from abuse, neglect, and unnecessary restraints. Abuse and neglect must be reported; the aide reports to the nurse or administrator immediately and does not investigate.
Traps built into questions
Common traps include giving a family member information from the chart, opening a resident's mail, accepting a cash tip, taking a resident's belongings without documentation, and labeling a resident noncompliant for refusing a shower or medication. Coercion is never acceptable; a refusal is respected, documented, and reported to the nurse. Restraints used for convenience or discipline violate rights. Sharing resident information with a neighbor or on social media is a confidentiality violation.
Worked example
A resident's daughter asks you what the doctor said and what the last blood pressure reading was. You do not answer and you do not hand over the chart. You explain that you cannot share that information and direct her to the nurse, who handles it according to the resident's wishes and facility policy.