Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) – The physical functions necessary for independent living. These usually include bathing, dressing, using the toilet, eating and moving about (transferring).

Acute Hospital – A hospital which provides care for persons who have a crisis, intense or severe illness or condition which requires urgent restorative care.

Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) – Local government agencies which grant or contract with public and private organizations to provide services for older persons within their area.

Assisted Living/Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly (RCFE) – Personal care and safe housing for people who require supervision for medication and assistance with daily living, but who do not require 24-hour nursing care.  RCFEs amy also provide a secure environment for persons with Alzheimers Disease.

Chronic – A lasting, lingering or prolonged illness.

Copayments – Copayments are those payments made by an individual at the time that he or she uses health care services. Copayments are generally a set amount depending upon the specific service received.

Custodial Care – Care is considered custodial when it is primarily for the purpose of meeting personal needs and could be provided by persons without professional skills or training.

Developmental Disability (DD) – Disability which originates before age 18; can be expected to continue indefinitely; constitutes a substantial handicap to the ability to function normally; and is attributable to mental retardation, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, autism, or any other condition closely related to mental retardation which results in similar impairment of general intellectual functioning or adaptive behavior.

Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care – This legal document authorizes the person given the power to make decisions regarding the person’s medical treatment only when the person giving the power becomes incompetent.

Home Health Agency (HHA) – A home health agency is a public or private agency that specializes in giving skilled nursing services, home health aides, and other therapeutic services, such as physical therapy, in the home.

Hospice – A hospice is a public agency or private organization that primarily provides pain relief, symptom management, and supportive services to terminally ill people and their families in the home or SNF.

Intermediate Care Facility (ICF) – An ICF provides health related care and services to individuals who do not require the degree of care or treatment given in a hospital or skilled nursing facility, but who (because of their mental or physical condition) require care and services which is greater than custodial care and can only be provided in an institutional setting.

Institutes for Mental Disease (IMDs) – Provide supplemental special programs for mentally disordered individuals in a locked and/or secured skilled nursing facility setting. They operate directly with County Mental Health Department.

Long-Term Care Insurance – A policy designed to help alleviate some of the costs associated with long term care needs. Often, benefits are paid in the form of a fixed dollar amount (per day or per visit) for covered LTC expenses.

Ombudsman – Individual designated by a state or a sub state unit responsible for investigating and resolving complaints made by or for older people in long term care facilities. An ombudsman is also responsible for monitoring federal and state policies that relate to long term care facilities, for providing information to the public about the problems of older people in facilities, and for training volunteers to help in the ombudsmen program. The ombudsman program is authorized by Title III of the Older Americans Act.

Managed Care – Medical care delivery system, such as HMO or PPO, where someone “manages” health care services a beneficiary receives; each plan has its own group of hospitals, doctors and other health care providers called a “network”; usually promote preventive health care; may have to pay a fixed monthly premium and a co-payment each time a service is used.

Medicaid (Medi-Cal in California) – The state medical assistance program which provides essential medical care and services for individuals and families receiving public assistance, or whose income is not sufficient to meet their individual needs. Sixty-five percent of residents in skilled nursing facilities rely on Medicaid.

Medicare – The nation’s largest health insurance program, Medicare covers 37 million Americans. Medicare provides insurance to people who are 65 years old; people who are disabled; and people with permanent kidney failure. Medicare provides only limited benefits for skilled care, and under specific guidelines, for nursing home and home health care. Only 12 percent of individuals in skilled nursing facilities rely on Medicare.

Medicare Part A – Hospital and Skilled Nursing Facilities program.  Medicare Part B – Voluntary program to cover physician care and certain outpatient services and items.  Medicare Part C – This encompasses various Medicare managed care plans which may be chosen at the time of enrollment in the program or during open enrollment once per year. Medicare Part D – This insurance pays for necessary drugs through enrollment with one of many approved drug plans.  Many Medicare managed care plans also include drug coverage. 

Medicare Supplementary Insurance – This insurance pays the 20 percent of the Medicare approved amount of which Medicare pays 80 percent.

Medigap Insurance – Medigap insurance are private insurance products that provide insurance protection for the costs of hospital services that are rendered to a Medicare beneficiary that exceed the amount Medicare will pay for the hospital services.

Occupational Therapy – Activities designed to improve the useful functioning of physically and/or mentally disabled persons.

Personal Care – Involves services rendered by a nurse’s aide, dietician or other health professional. These services include assistance in walking, getting out of bed, bathing, toileting, dressing, eating and preparing special diets.

Physical Therapy – Services provided by specially trained and licensed physical therapists in order to relieve pain, restore maximum function, and prevent disability, injury or loss of a body part.

Respite – The in-home care of a chronically ill beneficiary intended to give the care-giver a rest. Can also be provided in a hospice or nursing home (as with hospice respite care).

Skilled Nursing Care – Care which can only be provided by or under the supervision or licensed nursing personnel. Skilled rehabilitation care must be provided or supervised by licensed therapy personnel. All care is under the general direction of a physician and necessary on a daily basis. Therapy that is needed only occasionally, such as twice a week, or where the skilled services that are needed do not require inpatient care, do not qualify as skilled level of care.

Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) – Provide 24-hour nursing care for chronically-ill or short-term rehabilitative residents of all ages.

Social Security – A national insurance program that provides income to workers when they retire or are disabled and to dependent survivors when a worker dies. Retirement payments are based on worker’s earnings during employment.

Speech Therapy – The study, examination, and treatment of defects and diseases of the voice, speech, spoken and written language.

Sub-Acute Care Facilities – Specialized units often in a distinct part of a nursing facility. Provide intensive rehabilitation, complex wound care, and post-surgical recovery for persons of all ages who no longer need the level of care found in a hospital.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) – A federal program that pays monthly checks to people in need who are 65 years or older and to people in need at any age who are blind and disabled. Eligibility is based on income and assets.