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HHA Exam Cheat Sheet 2026

The hardest-to-memorize HHA exam facts — vital signs, handwashing steps, isolation types, patient rights, and legal terms — all in one place.

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Normal Vital Sign Ranges

Wet hands with clean running water (warm or cold)
Apply soap — enough to cover all hand surfaces
Palm to palm — rub together in circular motion
Back of hands — right palm over left dorsum, interlaced fingers; then reverse
Between fingers — palm to palm with fingers interlaced
Backs of fingers — interlocked fingers, rotational rubbing
Thumbs — rotational rubbing of left thumb clasped in right palm; reverse
Fingertips — rotational rubbing in palm; reverse
Wrists — rotational rubbing; reverse
Rinse under clean running water
Dry with single-use towel
Use towel to turn off faucet

DONNING (Putting On)

DOFFING (Taking Off)

Type	Diseases	Required PPE	Room
Standard	All patients, always	Gloves; gown/mask as needed	Any
Contact	MRSA, C-diff, VRE, scabies	Gloves + Gown	Private preferred
Droplet	Influenza, COVID-19, mumps	Surgical mask	Private or cohort
Airborne	TB, measles, chickenpox	N95 respirator	Negative pressure room

Right to be informed — know their diagnosis, treatment plan, and prognosis
Right to refuse care — any competent patient may decline treatment
Right to privacy — HIPAA protects all health information
Right to dignity and respect — treated with courtesy regardless of condition
Right to safety — free from abuse, neglect, and exploitation
Right to participate in care — involved in planning their own care
Right to continuity — not abandoned without proper transition of care
Right to grievance — complain without fear of retaliation

Term	Definition
Abuse	Intentional physical, emotional, sexual, or financial harm to a patient
Neglect	Failure to provide required care (can be intentional or unintentional)
Abandonment	Leaving a patient without notifying the care team or arranging coverage
HIPAA	Federal law protecting patient health information privacy
Informed Consent	Patient agrees to care after understanding risks, benefits, and alternatives
Scope of Practice	Legal limits of what an HHA is permitted to do (no medication administration)
Advance Directive	Legal document stating patient wishes if they cannot communicate (living will, DNR)
DNR/DNAR	Do Not Resuscitate / Do Not Attempt Resuscitation — no CPR if patient stops breathing
Mandatory Reporting	HHAs are legally required to report suspected abuse or neglect to a supervisor

Stage	Appearance	HHA Action
Stage 1	Intact skin, non-blanchable redness	Report immediately; reposition every 2h
Stage 2	Partial thickness — open blister or shallow wound	Report; do NOT massage; keep clean and dry
Stage 3	Full thickness — deep crater, may see fat tissue	Report; follow wound care plan; no home treatment
Stage 4	Full thickness — bone, tendon, or muscle exposed	Report as medical emergency; document precisely
Unstageable	Base covered by slough or eschar	Report; never attempt to remove eschar

RACE — Fire Response Order

PASS — Fire Extinguisher Use

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