Which two identifiers should you use to correctly identify a resident before providing care?

• A. Room number and bed number
• B. Residence address and phone number
• C. Name and date of birth
• D. Care plan ID and room color

Answer: (C)

Verifying the resident’s identity before giving care is essential for safety, and you do it using two identifiers that come from the resident’s record. The strongest combination is the resident’s name and date of birth because together they uniquely identify the person and match what’s in the medical record. Other options aren’t reliable: room and bed numbers can change with transfers, addresses or phone numbers can belong to someone else, and a care plan ID or room color isn’t a direct identifier you can verify about the person in front of you. In practice, check the wristband or chart and, if possible, have the resident confirm their name and date of birth before you proceed.