How should you respond to a resident's refusal of care?

• A. Respect the decision, document, notify the nurse, and try again later or adjust the plan.
• B. Force care.
• C. Ignore and proceed.
• D. Tell family to decide.

Answer: (A)

Respecting the resident’s autonomy while ensuring safety is the key idea here. When a resident refuses care, acknowledge their decision, clearly explain what the care involves and the potential risks of not receiving it, and verify that they have the capacity to decide. Then document the refusal with date, time, and the reason given, and notify the supervising nurse. If possible, revisit the discussion later and consider offering alternatives or adjusting the plan to align with the resident’s preferences while still protecting their health. If the resident lacks decision-making capacity, follow facility policy to involve a surrogate or family member and document decisions accordingly. Forcing care or ignoring the refusal isn’t appropriate, and asking family to decide without proper authority isn’t correct unless the policy or legal framework requires it.