What should the CNA do after offering fluid to moisten the resident's mouth before offering food?

• A. Use spoon to feed
• B. Leave area around resident's mouth clean & dry
• C. Maintain eye level contact with resident while feeding
• D. Check if resident swallowed before offering next bite

Answer: (C)

Maintaining eye-level contact with the resident while feeding emphasizes communication, safety, and responsiveness. When you stay at their eye level after moistened lips, you’re showing attentiveness and can more easily notice signs the resident is ready for the next bite, or any difficulty with swallowing, distress, or coughing. This connection helps the resident feel respected and reduces anxiety, which can improve cooperation during feeding and support safer swallowing.

Other steps are part of the broader feeding process—using a spoon to feed is the technique, keeping the area around the mouth clean is good hygiene, and checking swallowing before the next bite is important for safety. However, the immediate interpersonal focus after moistening the mouth is to keep eye contact to monitor the resident and respond promptly.