Which two identifiers are commonly used to verify a resident's identity before care?

• A. Hair color and eye color.
• B. Name and date of birth, or name and room/ID.
• C. Room number and last name.
• D. Age and occupation.

Answer: (B)

Verifying identity before care relies on using reliable, unique identifiers. The dependable approach is to confirm the resident’s name and pair it with a second distinct piece of information, such as the date of birth or the room/ID. This two-check method reduces the chance of mixing up individuals because a name alone can be shared or misread, and a single room number isn’t always reliable when residents move or share spaces. Hair color and eye color aren’t dependable identifiers because they’re not unique and can be similar across people. Age and occupation aren’t used because they don’t uniquely identify a person in real time and can change or be unknown. Using name plus a second identifier creates a safer, clearer verification before providing care.