What is the correct action after feeding regarding hygiene?

• A. Wipes mouth and cleans hands
• B. Wipes only mouth
• C. Washes hands only
• D. Leaves client to clean themselves

Answer: (A)

After feeding, you want both mouth care for the resident and hand hygiene for yourself. Wiping the resident’s mouth removes any food residue from lips and chin, which helps prevent irritation, odor, and potential aspiration from leftover dribbles. At the same time, cleaning your hands prevents spreading germs to the resident or to others and protects you from contamination. Doing only one part misses important safety and comfort steps, and leaving the resident to clean themselves isn’t appropriate in most care settings. So the correct approach is to wipe the mouth and clean your hands.