Glossary of Useful Terms

A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z 

A

Abuse: to hurt, injure, or damage
Abduction: moving away from the body
Activities of daily living: tasks needed for daily living, such as dressing, hygiene, eating, toileting, and bathing
Acute: illness that occurs suddenly
Adduction: moving toward the body
Adult day care program: a daytime program that provides stimulating activities and assistance with meals, medications, and personal care in a social setting for adults who are unable to provide for all of their own needs (click here to see the Toghers article on adult day care programs)
Advance Directive: a legal document that combines the functions of a Living Will and a Durable Medical Power of Attorney (click here to see the Toghers article on Advance Directives)
Aging: growing old; advancing in years
Alignment: to place in a straight line
ALS: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease
Alzheimer's Disease: a progressive brain disorder, often fatal, that is the most common form of dementia (click here to see the Toghers article on Alzheimer's Disease and memory loss)
Ambulation: moving about, walking
Aphasia: defective or absent language ability
Apical pulse: pulse measured at the heart through auscultation
Apraxia: the inability of a person to do what he or she used to do
Aspiration: inhaling fluid or food into the lungs
Assault: to touch the body of another person without consent
Assessment: an evaluation of a condition or resident
Assisted living facility: residence for people who need assistance with activities of daily living but who wish to live as independently as possible for as long as possible (click here to see the Toghers article on assisted living)
Assisted living specializing in memory care: an assisted living facility that is designed for people living with memory impairments and similar issues, including Alzheimer’s Disease (click here to see the Toghers article on assisted living specializing in memory care)
Auscultate: to listen to body system sounds with a stethoscope
Axillary: armpit area

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B

Blood pressure: the measure of the force of the blood against the walls of a blood vessel
Body mechanics: using the body properly to prevent injury when lifting, moving, or bending

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C

Cardiac arrest: the stoppage of the heart
Care recipient: a person who is ill, injured, or unable to provide for all of their own needs, and who receives care from another person
Caregiver: a person who cares for someone who is  ill, injured, or unable to provide for all of their own needs
Caregiver agreement: a contract between a care recipient and a caregiver in which the care recipient agrees to reimburse the caregiver for the care they provide (click here to see the Toghers article on Caregiver Agreements)
Caregiving: the act of providing care for someone who is  ill, injured, or unable to provide for all of their own needs
Catheter: a small tube used to drain fluid
Chronic: illness that is of a long duration or frequent recurrence
Chart: collection of medical records
Clean: free of germs that cause infection or disease
Cognition: mental processes associated with thinking, learning, memory, judgment, language, and orientation; it involves the speed, accuracy and strength with which our brain receives, records, and recalls information as well as the ability to communicate clearly, think quickly, and remember fully
Colostomy: surgical opening of the colon or bowel on the surface of the abdomen where fecal contents collect in an external appliance
Communicable disease: disease that is spread from one person to another
Confidentiality: a resident's right to limit others' awareness of personal information, to keep information free from public knowledge
Constipation: difficulty in passing stool
Contaminated: no longer clean or sterile
Contracture: a muscle that is drawn or shortened
Continence: control of bladder or bowel function
Court Appointed Guardianship: the process under which a court appoints a guardian to make decisions on behalf of an individual who, due to mental or physical illness or disability, can’t make or communicate responsible decisions concerning his person and care (click here to see the Toghers article on Court Appointed Guardianships)
Cyanosis: blue color of any part of the body due to lack of oxygen

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D

Decubitus ulcer: breakdown of layers of skin to form a wound; also known as bed sore, pressure sore
Defecate: to have a bowel movement, to pass stool
Dehydration: a condition in which the body has less than normal fluid
Dementia: a severe state of cognitive impairment characterized by memory loss, difficulty with abstract thinking, and disorientation (click here to see the Toghers article on dementia and memory loss)
Dementia of Alzheimer's Type (DAT): a disease in which there is widespread and progressive worsening of cognition including memory, in addition to one or more other areas of cognition; marked by a significant decline from a previous level of functioning, and significant impairment in social or occupational functioning (click here to see the Toghers article on DAT and memory loss)
Depression: a condition of general emotional dejection and withdrawal; sadness greater and more prolonged than that warranted by any objective reason (click here to see the Toghers Tip Card on depression)
Diarrhea: liquid or semi-liquid stool
Diastolic pressure: the bottom number in the blood pressure reading; reflects the pressure of blood in vessels when the heart is at rest
Dignity: the quality or state of being worthy of esteem or respect; poise and self-respect
Dirty: contaminated with germs
Discontinuity of Care: the industry name given to what we experience as lapses and gaps in medical treatment; increasingly acknowledged as a major source of medical error and patient-family discontent
Disinfection: process of killing most germs
Do Not Resuscitate Order (DNR): a written order from a doctor that resuscitation should not be attempted if a person suffers cardiac or respiratory arrest (click here to see the Toghers article on DNR Orders)
Durable Power of Attorney for Finances: a legal document that allows an individual to appoint another person to make financial decisions on his behalf if he should become unable to do so (click here to see the Toghers article on Durable Powers of Attorney for Finances)
Dysphagia: difficulty swallowing
Dyspnea: difficulty breathing

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E

Edema: swelling of parts of the body from fluid accumulation
Emesis: vomit
Enema: insertion of fluid into the bowel to stimulate a bowel movement
Extremities: parts farthest from the center of the body, usually the arms and legs, hands and feet
Extension: straightening of an extremity

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F

Family caregiver: a person who cares for a loved one who is  ill, injured, or unable to provide for all of their own needs (click here to see the Toghers article on family caregivers)
Fecal impaction: inability to dispel feces from the bowel
Feces: stool, bowel movement
Flexion: bending of an extremity
Force fluids: encourage fluid intake
Forecasting: advance guidance about how things work, how events unfold, and when decisions will likely need to be made during the hospitalization; prognoses, that is, educated guesses about our loved one's physical condition, are a subset of forecasting
Fowler's position: sitting upright
Fracture: a broken bone

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G

Gait belt: belt used for safety to transfer and ambulate residents (also referred to as a guard belt, transfer belt)
Geriatric care manager: a health and human services specialist who helps families who are caring for older relatives; trained and experienced in any of several fields related to long-term care, including, but not limited to nursing, gerontology, social work, or psychology, with a specialized focus on issues related to aging and elder care (click here to see the Toghers article on geriatric care managers)
GPS bracelet system: a bracelet that can be used in combination with a tracker to locate the wearer's physical position by Global Positioning System
Guardian: a person or entity appointed by the court to make decisions concerning a ward; a guardianship allows the appointed person or entity to make decisions about the ward, such as where they will live, what kinds of medical care and assistance they’ll receive, and what kind of supervision they need (click here to see the Toghers article on guardians and Court Appointed Guardianships)

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H

Hemorrhoids: enlarged blood vessels in the anus that look like flat or swollen tags of skin
Hiding behavior: a symptom of dementia that causes an individual to hide or misplace objects, such as putting a wristwatch in the sugar bowl (click here to see the Toghers Tip Card on hiding behaviors)
HIPAA Authorization and Release: authorizes the release of a patient's protected health information to specified individuals and organizations
Home care: a form of health care service that is provided in the patient's residence; the goal of home care is to provide for the needs of the patient to allow the patient to remain living at home, regardless of age or disability (click here to see the Toghers article on Home Care)
Hospice: care given to someone who is terminally ill
Hypertension: high blood pressure; leading cause of stroke

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I   J   K

ID alert bracelet: an engraved bracelet that presents a concise overview of the wearer's identification, medical conditions, and emergency contact information
Ileostomy: surgical opening of the ileum (small intestine) on the surface of the abdomen where fecal contents are collected in an external appliance
Incontinence: loss of control of bladder or bowel function (click here to see the Toghers Tip Card on incontinence)
Indwelling catheter: a plastic tube inserted into the body to drain fluids (usually urine)
Infection: invasion of the body by disease-causing germs
Interdisciplinary team: professionals from different fields and departments who work together with the patient to develop and implement an individualized plan of care
Invasion of privacy: an interruption of a resident's right to privacy or intimacy

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L

Language impairment, Expressive: affects an individual's ability to speak his or her ideas or needs (click here to see the Toghers Tip Card on language impairment)
Language impairment, Receptive: affects an individual's ability to understand spoken, and sometimes written, language (click here to see the Toghers Tip Card on language impairment)
Legal: according to law
Living Will: a legal document in which the signer asks not to be kept alive by extraordinary medical effort when suffering from terminal illness or severe disability; a prior statement of refusal to permit certain types of medical treatment (click here to see the Toghers article on Living Wills and Advance Directives)
Long term care (LTC): includes a variety of services which help meet both the medical and non-medical needs of people with a chronic illness or disability who cannot care for themselves for long periods of time; includes assisted living, nursing home, in-home care, adult day care and other similar services
Long term care facility: a facility that provides rehabilitation, continuous supportive, high level nursing, respite, or hospice care
Long term care insurance: insurance that helps pay for long term care
Lubricant: a slippery substance such as petroleum jelly, which facilitates passage of instruments into body orifices

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M

Medicaid: the United States' health program for eligible individuals and families (including parents, children, seniors, and people with disabilities) with low incomes and resources; a means-tested program that is jointly funded by the states and federal government, and is managed by the states
Medical Durable Power of Attorney: a legal document that allows an individual to appoint another person to make health care decisions on his behalf if he should become unable to do so (click here to see the Toghers article on Medical Durable Powers of Attorney and Advance Directives)
Medicare: a program administered by the United States government, providing health insurance coverage to people who are aged 65 and over, or who meet other special criteria (click here to see the Toghers article on Medicare)
Memory care: the assessment, treatment, and support of memory-impaired individuals
Memory loss: partial or total loss of memory (click here to see the Toghers article on memory loss)
Microorganism:  tiny cell or organism only seen with a microscope
Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI): a condition involving complaints in a single area of cognitive functioning, such as memory, that is corroborated by impaired performance on standardized testing and marked by a significant decline from a previous level of functioning; activities of daily living are essentially preserved and there is no known cause for the isolated memory or cognitive impairment (click here to see the Toghers article on MCI and memory loss)
Mindfulness: interacting with others by paying attention to details, looking at situations openly, and being observant and flexible
Multidisciplinary team: another name for the interdisciplinary team

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N

Negligence: a form of abuse by failing to act as a reasonable person would in a similar situation
Neuropsychology: the field in healthcare that specializes in understanding and evaluating the influence and impact of illness, disease and trauma on thinking, memory and behavior—working with people who have problems involving the brain (click here to see the Toghers article on neuropsychology)
Nonpathologic: not disease-causing
Nonverbal communication: communication through body language
Nurse assistant: a trained member of the health care team who provides the majority of hands-on care in a skilled care setting

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O

Objective observation: indisputable facts
Observation: use of the senses to gather information
Ombudsman: resident representative who investigates reported complaints and helps to achieve agreement between parties (i.e. resident/ family and staff)
Oral: in the mouth
Orientation: (1) to be shown something new (as a new job); (2) ability to accurately identify person, place, and time
Over the counter drug: a drug that is sold without a prescription

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P   Q

Packing behavior: a symptom of dementia that causes an individual to pack and unpack household items, clothing, or whatever may be at hand (click here to see the Toghers Tip Card on packing behaviors)
Palpate: use of touch to assess
Paralysis: loss of voluntary movement
Pathologic: disease-causing pathology
Penis: the external male sex organ
Perineal care: cleansing of the perineum
Perineum: area between the thighs, the external genitals and anus
Polypharmacy: the use of two or more drugs together, usually to treat a single condition or disease (click here to see the Toghers article on polypharmacy)
Post-mortem: after death
Prescription drug: a drug that is available only with written instructions from a doctor or dentist to a pharmacist
Prosthesis: artificial body part
Prone: lying flat, face down
Pulse: heart beat

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R

Radial pulse: pulse felt at the inner wrist
Range of motion: extent to which a joint can be moved safely
Rehabilitation: process by which functional abilities are improved
Residents' rights: legal protections ensuring long term care residents' physical and mental well being
Respiration: the process of breathing in and breathing out
Restraint: device used to restrict movement
Role: the part that one plays in relationship to others

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S

Self care: the act of caring for oneself while maintaining a focus on the areas of physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health—especially important when also caring for another (click here to see the Toghers Tip Card on self care)
Sexuality: the quality of being male or female
Significant others: all people important to a person
Skilled nursing facility: a nursing home which provides skilled nursing and/or skilled rehabilitation services to patients who need medical care that cannot be provided in another setting
Sphygmomanometer: instrument to measure blood pressure; (cuff and gauge)
Sputum: mucus from the lungs
Sterile: free of all germs
Stool: feces, bowel movement
Subjective observations: individual guesses or hunches based on objective information
Sundowning: a symptom of dementia that causes an individual to become increasingly confused at the end of the day and into the night
Supine: lying flat, face up
Systolic pressure: the top number of the blood pressure; reflects pressure in vessels when the heart is beating

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T

Terminal (diagnosis): occurring at or causing the end of life
Therapeutic fibs: stories that make life easier for the care recipient
Transfer: to move from one place to another

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U

Urine: Fluid waste formed by the kidney and excreted from the bladder

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V

Vital signs: temperature, pulse, respirations, and blood pressure
Void: to urinate

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W  X   Y   Z

Wandering: a symptom of dementia that causes an individual to move about with no definite destination or purpose, to search for something that they imagine is lost, to escape from something, or to attempt to fulfill a former job responsibility (click here to see the Toghers Tip Card on wandering)
Ward: a person who, due to mental or physical illness or disability, can’t make or communicate responsible decisions concerning his person and care (click here to see the Toghers article on wards and Court Appointed Guardianships)

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