Home Health Aide Practice Exam

For clients with difficulty breathing, what is an important action the aide should take?

1. Encourage exercise

2. Provide a humidifier

3. Assist with deep breathing exercises

4. Limit water intake

The correct answer is: Assist with deep breathing exercises

Assisting with deep breathing exercises is a crucial action for clients experiencing difficulty breathing. Deep breathing can help improve lung capacity, promote better oxygen exchange, and reduce feelings of breathlessness. It encourages the client to take slower, deeper breaths, which can help alleviate anxiety often associated with respiratory distress. These exercises also serve to encourage relaxation and may enable the client to regain control over their breathing pattern. While other actions such as providing a humidifier can be beneficial in managing respiratory issues or encouraging exercise may help overall health, they do not directly address the immediate need to improve breath control and enhance oxygenation in a client struggling to breathe. Similarly, limiting water intake is generally not an appropriate response for those having breathing difficulties, as proper hydration is often essential for optimal respiratory function.