What are the potential consequences of providing care without consent?

Providing care without consent can lead to a criminal charge of battery, which occurs when an individual intentionally inflicts harmful or offensive contact on another person without their consent. In the context of first aid and medical care, the principle of informed consent is crucial; it ensures that individuals have the right to make decisions about their own bodies and medical treatments. When a responder administers care without obtaining consent, they may be perceived as violating that person's rights, thus constituting battery under the law.

The other potential consequences, while they may also be serious, do not pertain directly to the criminal aspect of providing unauthorized care. For instance, civil lawsuits for negligence relate more to the failure to provide adequate care rather than the unauthorized provision of care. Loss of certification might follow after repeated legal issues but is not an immediate result of providing care without consent. Given these aspects, a criminal charge, particularly for battery, stands as a direct legal consequence of acting without the patient's consent.