Terminology Glossary

A

Abuse

Causing harm to another person by use of any means. Abuse specifically includes the following forms, which are prohibited by law:

• Physical
• Financial
• Emotional
• Sexual

 

Activities of Daily Living

Activities of Daily Living include dressing, bathing, eating, walking and all the necessary activities required to function on a daily basis such as cooking meals, house cleaning, laundry and maintaining appointments.

Adult Day Care

Specialized care offered during business hours Monday through Friday, following the business model of child day care programs. Sometimes transportation to and from the Adult Day Care center is provided. Meals are included, along with activities to promote socialization and physical and mental stimulation. Customized activities are provided for seniors with memory loss. Adult Day Care provides a solution for offering scheduled breaks for spouses and other family caregivers.

Advance Directive for Health Care

Legal documents outlining how a person’s medical decisions are to be handled, including a Living Will, Power of Attorney for Health Care and Power of Attorney for Finances. May be part of a trust or estate plan. Alignment: Positioning of the body. A senior client’s body alignment must be considered when positioning in a bed or chair, with repositioning to avoid bedsores every two hours if the senior is bedridden.

Alzheimer’s Disease

Age-related illness causing a brain disorder. It develops slowly causing destructive changes in the brain affecting the way a person thinks, talks and behaves.

Ambulating

Assisting the senior to move around. Ambulation includes supervising the senior when walking alone or with the help of a mechanical device such as a walker. Assisting with challenging parts of walking such as climbing stairs and using a gait belt to help support the senior.

Assistive Devices

Tools to assist the physically impaired with tasks that may be difficult for them. Some examples are: gait belts, slide boards, drawsheets, back belts, roller boards, trapeze.

B

Bed Hold

A hold reservation placed on a nursing home bed if a resident is only going to be hospitalized temporarily or on therapeutic leave. Bed holds are mostly needed by Medicaid patients to prevent another Medicaid patient from taking their place. Some state Medicaid programs pay for bed holds and Medicaid nursing home residents have the right to return to the first available bed in the facility they left from.

Bedpan

Specially shaped pan used for toileting a client if they are not able to get out of bed to a toilet.

Blood Pressure

The pressure of the blood against the inner walls of the blood vessels. This pressure will vary from person to person, in different parts of the body, and different conditions of health, exertion and is one indicator of the heart’s health and the person’s overall wellness.

C

Care Plan

an organized daily overview of activities and care duties to be performed by the caregiver which includes the care recipient’s medical conditions, medications, nutrition requirements, exercises and interests.

Catheter

tube inserted into the bladder that is used to drain urine from the body. Catheters are only used when a person is not able to release urine without assistance or when they become incontinent after surgery or a stroke for a short period of time. Catheters can be a target for bacteria to enter the body and lead to infections and illness and must be carefully monitored. Texas catheter is a popular condom-style catheter for men and a Foley catheter is a popular indwelling internal catheter which remains inside the body.

Certified Nursing Aide (C.N.A.)

Each state regulates their nursing requirements, with the first stage of training providing for certification after required course work and in-field training has been completed, along with background checks and final exam. Certified Nursing Aides are trained to assist in all Activities of Daily Living, including bathing, transfers and feeding.

Client

A word used in the regulations and in some work settings that means the person in your care.

Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC)

A retirement community organized to provide care for all stages of aging. Most CCRC’s require a down payment, monthly rental payments and may charge fees for extra services. This delivers peace-of-mind to seniors, knowing they can remain in one community as their care needs change. Independent Living townhomes or apartments are offered, along with Assisted Living apartments and Nursing Care. Some CCRC’s offer a refund of a portion of the deposit if the senior deceases before a pre-set time.

D

Dementia

Memory loss, which can be in a variety of types. Alzheimer’s Disease is only one form of dementia, others types include: Huntington’s Disease, Pick’s Disease, Frontal Lobe Dementia, Frontotemporal Dementia, Lewy Body Disease, Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus, Vascular Dementia, Parkinson’s Disease. Blood clots and brain tumors also may cause dementia.

Discrimination

Treating someone differently or unfavorably because of their age, race, religion,sex, sexual preference, national origin, or disability.

Do Not Resuscitate (DNR)

Written legal order stating that the patient does not want to be resuscitated. Hospice patients wishing to not have artificial life support typically will have a DNR.

Dressing

Includes supervising and guiding the client when dressing and undressing, assisting with difficult tasks such as tying shoes and completely dressing or undressing client when required.

Durable Medical Equipment (DME)

Reusable medical equipment such as walkers, wheelchairs and hospital beds. Medicare will pay for some DME, with doctor’s approval.

E

Enema

Injection of fluid into the rectum for the purposes of causing a bowel movement, often used to solve constipation problems.

Environmental Cleanliness

The space all around a person is his environment. Caregivers should keep it tidy, clean and fresh to help the senior feel healthier and happier.

G

Geriatric Care Manager

A professional trained to work with seniors, usually through graduate education in gerontology, social work or psychology. Professional organizations provide certification and licensing in some states but there are no nationwide standards. Care Managers interact with seniors and their family to develop and implement a plan of care to meet the senior’s medical and financial requirements.

Grooming

Shaving, hair and dental care, applying makeup and perfume. Grooming refers to the finishing touches that each person needs to look their best.

L

Lifting

Assisting a client to move from one place to another or one position to another. Proper lifting of a client is essential to ensure the safety of both the client and caregiver.

Long-term Care Insurance (LTCI)

Long-term care insurance is an insurance policy which may be privately purchased and typically pays for a certain amount of care per day for a certain amount of years for care either in the home or in a nursing facility. Policies vary widely and may be customized for each individual. Policy costs increase in connection with age and pre-existing medical conditions.

M

Meal Preparation

Includes planning and preparing meals for special diets, assisting seniors who are able to participate in meal preparation, preparing meals for seniors unable to participate, and cleaning up after meals.

Medicaid

Low-income seniors (typically with assets of $2,000.00 or less although this varies by state), qualify for this national USA health program which is jointly funded by states and the federal government. Because of this joint funding, coverage varies for each state and your local Department on Aging will be able to provide information on qualifications for coverage. The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 significantly changed the rules governing the treatment of asset transfer and home ownership transfer of nursing home residents, making it more difficult to transfer your assets into another person’s name in order to qualify for Medicaid coverage. The government wants to safeguard against paying for nursing home care for seniors who can afford to pay for this care themselves. At the same time, the government has built in asset-protection options for married couples to allow a spend-down to protect one from spousal poverty. An attorney in your state can advise you on the best approach.

Medicare

Seniors age 65 and older and some disabled people under age 65 qualify for this national USA health insurance program administered by Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Medicare does not pay for long-term care.

Mobility Equipment

Devices or equipment which assist a person with movement. Typically it includes wheelchairs, walkers, gait belts (used around the client’s waist to allow the caregiver to have a secure hold), sliding boards, trapeze and other equipment to aid in movement. Proper training by a physical therapist or occupational therapist is required.

Monitoring

Observation and reporting to detect any changes in a senior’s health condition.

N

Nail Care

Fingernails and toenails change as we age and may become thicker or more brittle due to medications. Maintaining clean, trimmed fingernails and toenails are important for sanitation and safety. If toenails become difficult for the senior to trim, a medical doctor or nurse specializing in foot care should be consulted.

Neglect

When a senior has passive, active or self-neglect, they are not receiving the care required for healthy living. Neglect can be an equal offense to abuse in most states and is punishable by law.

Non-medical Care

Care which does not require a Registered Nurse or Medical Doctor to administer their services. All Activities of Daily Living are considered non-medical care.

NPDA (National Private Duty Association), now Home Care Assn. of America

The NPDA is a national association which sets a minimum level of standards for non-medical home care agencies to follow in order to qualify for membership. These standards include withholding payroll taxes, contributing to Worker’s Compensation Insurance, contributing to Unemployment Insurance, bonding employees and performing criminal background checks. NPDA seeks to enhance the strength and professionalism of private duty home care providers through education and development of best practices by developing core training and education programs and developing a political lobby to influence the regulatory environment of home care agencies nationwide. In January, 2013, the NPDA changed their name to the Home Care Association of America.

O

Orthotic Device

Medical device used to correct impairments in the client’s skeletal or muscular system.

Ostomy Bag

Bag that connects to the colon or small intestine through a hole in the abdomen to allow for the removal of waste products.

P

Peri Care

Care of the perineal area, between a person’s legs, to prevent infection and skin irritation.

Peri-Care

Care of the perineal area between a person’s legs is required since this is an area that is exposed to germs, moisture and bacteria.

Permitted Duties

Job duties allowed as a caregiver. Understand what is allowed by law in your state, and what is not allowed such as medication management and nail care which often requires specific qualifications.

Personal Hygiene

Care of hair, teeth, dentures, shaving, filing of nails, other basic personal hygiene, and grooming tasks, and performing grooming tasks for the client when he/she is unable to do so.

Positioning

Moving a senior’s body to be in a desired position, which includes assistance in turning and positioning to prevent secondary disabilities, such as contractures,balance deficits and pressure sores.

Professionalism

Maintaining a consistent, steady demeanor and conduct while performing your job duties, eliminating personal bias with a positive, can-do attitude each day regardless of personal issues.

Pulse

Measurement of the number of times a person’s heart beats each minute. The pulse rate normally varies from person to person, and during times of rest or exertion. Pulse rate can be an important indicator of the body’s health or illness.

R

Range of Motion

Movement of a senior’s body through the full motion their joints and muscles will allow, for strength and flexibility.

S

Specimens

Body fluids such as feces or urine collected from a senior and intended for medical testing.

Standard (Universal) Precautions

Safety measures that must be used any time a risk of contact with a senior’s body fluid occurs. These precautions include wearing gloves, gowns, goggles and masks and washing hands. The term “Standard Precautions” or “Universal Precautions” are used to mean the same set of basic precautions.

Supervision

Being available to help the senior with personal care tasks that may be needed at any time. This includes: toileting, ambulation, transfer, positioning, some medication assistance; and/or providing protective supervision to a senior who cannot be left alone because of confusion, forgetfulness, or lack of judgment.

Suppository

Coneshaped, solid medication inserted into the rectum designed to deliver medication or assist with a bowel movement. Suppositories may also be inserted into other body cavities like the vagina to deliver medication in a specific manner.

T

Toileting

Assistance with bladder or bowel problems, assisting the senior to transfer on and off the toilet and changing of incontinent supplies. Toileting may include performing routine peri/colostomy/catheter tasks, for the senior when the senior is able to supervise the activities.

Transfer

Assistance with getting in and out of a bed or wheelchair, on and off the toilet, or in and out of the bathtub. Transfer includes supervising the senior when able to transfer if guided, steadying, and helping the senior when the senior assists in their own transfer.