Florida Assisted Living Facilities Practice Exam

If a resident has a healthcare surrogate or power of attorney, where must this be documented?

1. Admission/discharge log

2. Major incident log

3. Resident record

4. Medication observation record

The correct answer is: Resident record

The correct choice is the resident record. Documenting the existence of a healthcare surrogate or power of attorney in the resident record is essential as it serves as an official and comprehensive account of the resident's preferences and legal designations regarding medical decision-making. This record keeps vital information accessible to healthcare providers and staff, ensuring that any necessary medical decisions are made in accordance with the resident’s wishes and with respect to the authority granted by the surrogate or power of attorney. Including this information in the resident record aids in compliance with regulations and standards governing assisted living facilities, which emphasize the importance of personal rights and preferences in care. This centralized documentation process helps facilitate effective communication among caregivers, which is critical in situations where immediate decisions may need to be made regarding a resident’s health care. The other options represent various types of logs and records that serve different administrative functions and do not provide a designated place for a resident’s legal directives. The admission/discharge log tracks resident intake and exit, the major incident log is used for documenting significant occurrences impacting residents or facility operations, and the medication observation record is specifically focused on tracking medication administration and related observations.