What does that mean?
The words doctors, insurers, lawyers and senior living staff use, in plain English. Rules differ by state; check the details for yours.
- Activities of daily living (ADLs) · also ADL
The basic self-care tasks: bathing, dressing, eating, using the toilet, getting in and out of bed or a chair, and continence. Needing help with them is how care needs, assisted living levels and long-term care insurance claims are usually measured.
- Adult day program
Daytime supervision, activities and meals in a group setting, so a parent is safe and social while the family works or rests.
- Adult Protective Services (APS)
The state or county agency that investigates abuse, neglect and financial exploitation of older and dependent adults. Anyone can report.
- Advance health care directive · also living will
A legal document that records the medical care someone wants or doesn't want, and usually names who decides for them if they can't. Rules and forms differ by state.
- Aging life care manager · also geriatric care manager
Usually a nurse or social worker who assesses what an older adult needs, finds and checks services, goes to appointments and keeps the family informed. Most charge by the hour.
- Area Agency on Aging (AAA)
The local public or nonprofit agency that coordinates services for older adults in a county or region: meals, rides, in-home help, caregiver support.
- Assisted living
A residence with private apartments or rooms, meals and help with daily tasks, for people who don't need nursing-home care. Medicare doesn't pay for it.
- Board and care home · also residential care home, adult family home
A licensed home, often six or fewer residents, giving meals, supervision and help with daily tasks in a regular house.
- Care plan
The written plan for someone's care: needs, goals, who does what and when. A care manager or the care team usually keeps it up to date.
- Credit freeze · also security freeze
Locks a person's credit reports so no new credit can be opened in their name. Free at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion; it doesn't affect existing cards.
- DNR order · also do not resuscitate
A doctor's order not to attempt CPR if the heart or breathing stops. It doesn't mean no other treatment.
- Durable medical equipment (DME)
Equipment like walkers, wheelchairs, hospital beds and oxygen. Medicare Part B covers much of it with a doctor's order from an enrolled supplier.
- Durable power of attorney (financial) · also DPOA
Names someone to handle money and property, and stays in effect if your parent loses capacity (that's what “durable” means). The agent has a legal duty to act in your parent's interest.
- Elder financial exploitation
Taking or misusing an older person's money or property: by scammers, but also by caregivers, friends or relatives. Warning signs include new “best friends”, missing items, unexplained withdrawals and changes to a will or accounts.
- End-of-life doula · also death doula
A non-medical companion who supports a dying person and family with presence, planning and vigil. Not licensed or regulated.
- Guardianship or conservatorship
A court process that appoints someone to make decisions for an adult who can't. Expensive and public; a power of attorney signed while your parent can still sign usually avoids it. The names differ by state.
- Health care power of attorney · also health care proxy, health care agent
Names the person who makes medical decisions when your parent can't. Often part of an advance directive.
- HIPAA release · also HIPAA authorization
A signed form that lets doctors and hospitals talk with the people your parent names. Without one, staff may not share details with family.
- Home care · also non-medical home care, private duty
Paid help at home with ADLs, meals, housework, errands and company. Usually paid privately or by long-term care insurance; Medicare generally doesn't cover it.
- Home health care
Skilled care at home ordered by a doctor: nursing, physical therapy and similar, for a limited time. Medicare covers it when the rules are met. Different from home care.
- Hospice
Comfort-focused care for someone whose doctor expects six months or less if the illness runs its usual course. Medicare covers it, usually at home. It adds a team; it isn't giving up.
- Instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) · also IADL
The tasks of living on your own: managing money and medications, cooking, shopping, housework, driving or using transportation, using the phone. Trouble with these often shows up before trouble with ADLs.
- Long-term care insurance
A private policy that pays for help with ADLs at home or in a community once the policy's conditions are met, often after a waiting period. Find the policy and call the insurer early.
- Long-term care ombudsman
A free advocate for residents of nursing homes and assisted living who helps resolve complaints about care and rights.
- Medicaid
Joint federal and state health coverage for people with limited income and assets. The main payer for long-term nursing home care; many states also pay for some care at home. Rules differ by state.
- Medicare
Federal health insurance for people 65+ and some younger people with disabilities. Part A covers hospital, Part B doctors and outpatient care, Part D prescriptions; Medicare Advantage (Part C) bundles them through a private plan.
- Medigap · also Medicare supplement
Private insurance that pays some of what Original Medicare doesn't, like coinsurance. It can't be used with Medicare Advantage.
- Memory care
A secured setting, often within assisted living, for people living with dementia, with staff trained for it.
- PACE · also Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly
In some areas, a Medicare and Medicaid program that covers medical care, a day center and help at home for people 55+ who need nursing-home-level care but can live in the community.
- Palliative care
Care for symptoms and stress of serious illness, at any stage, alongside treatment.
- POLST · also MOLST, POST, physician orders for life-sustaining treatment
A medical order, signed by a clinician, that tells emergency responders and hospitals what treatment a seriously ill person wants, such as CPR or not. It's for people who are already seriously ill or frail, and travels with them.
- Professional fiduciary
A paid professional who manages money or care decisions for someone, as a trustee, agent, conservator or guardian. Some states license them.
- Representative payee
A person or organization Social Security appoints to receive and manage benefits for someone who can't. Separate from a power of attorney.
- Respite care
Short-term care that gives the family caregiver a break: a few hours at home, a day program, or a short stay in a community.
- Skilled nursing facility (SNF) · also nursing home
Round-the-clock nursing care. Medicare can cover a short rehab stay after a qualifying hospital stay; long-term stays are usually paid privately or by Medicaid.
- VA Aid and Attendance
An extra monthly amount added to a VA pension for veterans or surviving spouses who need help with daily activities.
Still stuck?
See free help and hotlines, read the guides, or find a care manager who can explain it for your parent's situation.
General information, not legal, medical or financial advice.