Test your knowledge
Now that you've been exposed to some of the legal definitions involved with mandated reporting, let's see how those definitions work in specific situations. You will be provided with a scenario and several responses to each situation. Choose the correct response.
Meet John:
John is 25 years old and lives at an adult foster care home. He also attends a day training and habilitation program five days per week. John has limited communication abilities.
On Monday morning, John arrives at his day program as usual. As the day program staff persons are assisting him off of the van they notice a large bruise on the left side of his face and neck. When asked about the bruise, John is unable to tell the day program staff persons how he sustained the bruise.
What is the responsibility of the staff persons at the day program? Click the letter next to the correct answer.
Call the adult foster care home, inform them of the bruise, and ask them to check it out when he returns in the evening.
Assume that the adult foster care program knows about the bruise and that they are “handling” the situation.
Report the unexplained bruise to the Minnesota Adult Abuse Reporting Center(MAARC/CEP). Also, have John evaluated by a nurse at the day program or a health care clinic in the community. Take pictures of the bruise.
Do nothing since everyone gets a bruise once in a while.