Glossary

Home care glossary

210 home care and senior care terms in plain English: types of care, daily living, caregivers, paying for care, state programs, legal planning and safety.

Types of care

24-hour care: 24-hour care is home care in which a caregiver is awake and on duty at all times, usually through several caregivers working shifts. It gives uninterrupted support to...
Adult day care: Adult day care is a community program that gives adults supervised daytime care outside the home. Centers offer activities, meals, and sometimes health services....
Adult foster care: Adult foster care, also called adult family home care, places an adult who needs help in a private home with a trained caregiver. The home houses only a few residents....
Alzheimer's care: Alzheimer's care is support for a person with Alzheimer's disease, the most common cause of dementia. It covers daily help, safety, routines, and emotional support,...
Assisted living: Assisted living is a residential setting for people who need help with daily tasks but not the full medical care of a nursing home. Residents usually have their own...
Board and care home: A board and care home is a small residential home that provides a room, meals, housekeeping, and help with personal care. Many serve about 20 or fewer residents. They...
Companion care: Companion care is non-medical home care that focuses on company and everyday help. A caregiver may talk, cook, run errands, drive to appointments, and do light...
Continuing care retirement community (CCRC): A continuing care retirement community (CCRC) is a campus that offers independent living, assisted living, and nursing home care in one place. Residents usually move...
Custodial care: Custodial care is non-medical help with daily living, such as bathing, dressing, eating, and using the toilet. Aides can provide it at home or in a facility. Medicare...
Dementia care: Dementia care is support for people with memory loss and other thinking problems that disrupt daily life. It includes routines, safety measures, help with daily tasks,...
Home care: Home care is non-medical help for people who live at home, such as bathing, dressing, meals, housekeeping, errands, and company. Trained caregivers provide it for a...
Home health care: Home health care is medical care given at home for an illness or injury, such as skilled nursing and therapy. A doctor orders it. Medicare covers it for eligible...
Hospice care: Hospice care is end-of-life care for people with an illness that cannot be cured. It focuses on comfort rather than cure. A team of professionals supports the patient...
Hourly care: Hourly care is home care booked by the hour instead of by the day or live-in arrangement. A caregiver visits for a set number of hours to help with tasks such as...
Independent living: Independent living is housing for older adults who can manage on their own. Communities often offer meals, social activities, transportation, and maintenance, but they...
Live-in care: Live-in care is home care in which one caregiver lives in the client's home and supports them through the day and night. The caregiver gets scheduled breaks and sleep....
Memory care: Memory care is specialized residential care for people with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. It is often a secured unit inside an assisted living community or...
Nursing home: A nursing home is a residential facility that provides round-the-clock supervision, nursing care, meals, help with daily activities, and often rehabilitation. It is...
Overnight care: Overnight care is home care provided during the night. Some overnight caregivers stay awake to help with toileting, repositioning, or safety. Others sleep nearby and...
Palliative care: Palliative care is specialized medical care that eases the symptoms and stress of a serious illness. A team works with the patient, family, and other doctors. People...
Personal care: Personal care is hands-on help with daily self-care, such as bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, eating, and moving around. Trained aides give this help at home or...
Post-surgery home care: Post-surgery home care is help at home during recovery from an operation. A caregiver may assist with walking, meals, bathing, errands, and medicine reminders. Nurses...
Private duty nursing: Private duty nursing is one-on-one nursing care at home or another setting, delivered by a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse. It is often longer or more...
Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE): The Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) is a Medicare and Medicaid program that provides medical and long-term care services to people who need...
Rehabilitation care: Rehabilitation care is therapy that helps a person regain strength, movement, speech, or daily skills after an illness, injury, or surgery. Physical, occupational, and...
Respite care: Respite care is short-term care that gives a family caregiver a break. It can last a few hours or several weeks. It can happen at home, in a care facility, or at an...
Skilled nursing care: Skilled nursing care is nursing and therapy that only licensed professionals, or staff supervised by them, can safely provide. Examples include wound care, injections,...
Skilled nursing facility (SNF): A skilled nursing facility (SNF) is a Medicare-certified facility that provides nursing and therapy that only professionals can safely give. People often stay after a...

Daily living and health

Activities of daily living (ADLs): Activities of daily living (ADLs) are the basic self-care tasks people do each day. The common list is bathing, dressing, eating, transferring, toileting, and...
Alzheimer's disease: Alzheimer's disease is a progressive brain disorder that slowly harms memory, thinking, and eventually the ability to do simple tasks. It is the most common cause of...
Ambulation: Ambulation means walking from place to place, with or without a cane, walker, or help from another person. Doctors and care teams use the word when they assess how...
Bathing: Bathing, as an activity of daily living, means washing the body by sponge bath, tub, or shower, and getting in and out safely. Many older adults need help with it...
Chronic condition: A chronic condition is a health problem that lasts a year or more and needs ongoing medical attention, limits daily activities, or both. Examples include heart...
Cognitive decline: Cognitive decline is a drop in memory, thinking, judgment, or language. Mild changes can come with normal aging. A larger or faster drop may signal mild cognitive...
Congestive heart failure: Congestive heart failure is a long-term condition in which the heart cannot pump or fill well enough to meet the body's needs. It does not mean the heart has stopped....
Continence: Continence, as an activity of daily living, means the ability to control bladder and bowel. When control is lost, a person may need help with pads, a catheter, or an...
COPD: COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is a progressive lung disease that makes breathing hard. Common symptoms are breathlessness, a lasting cough with...
Dementia: Dementia is a group of symptoms, not one disease. It involves decline in memory, language, problem-solving, and other thinking skills that is serious enough to disrupt...
Diabetes management: Diabetes management is the daily work of keeping blood glucose in a safe range. It includes healthy eating, activity, medicines or insulin, and regular checks. Doctors...
Dressing: Dressing, as an activity of daily living, means choosing clothes, putting them on and taking them off, including fasteners and shoes. Pain, stiffness, weakness, or...
Eating and feeding assistance: Eating and feeding assistance is help with getting food from the plate to the mouth and swallowing safely. It can include cutting food, setting up meals, cueing, or...
Fall risk: Fall risk is the chance that a person will fall and be hurt. Weak legs, poor balance, some medicines, vision problems, and hazards at home raise it. About one in four...
Frontotemporal dementia: Frontotemporal dementia is a group of brain disorders in which abnormal tau or TDP-43 proteins build up in the frontal and temporal lobes. It often changes behavior,...
Incontinence: Incontinence is the loss of control over the bladder, bowel, or both, causing leaks or accidents. It is more common in older adults, especially women, but it is not a...
Instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs): Instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) are tasks needed to live on your own, such as managing money, taking medicines, cooking, housekeeping, shopping, and...
Lewy body dementia: Lewy body dementia is dementia linked to abnormal deposits of a protein called alpha-synuclein, known as Lewy bodies, in the brain. It can cause changes in thinking,...
Medication administration: Medication administration means giving a person their medicine, such as handing over the dose, measuring liquids, or giving an injection. Who may do it depends on...
Medication management: Medication management is the full set of steps for using medicines safely. It includes keeping an up-to-date list, refilling on time, taking the right doses, watching...
Medication reminder: A medication reminder is a prompt that tells a person it is time to take a medicine they already have. A caregiver may remind aloud, point to a pill organizer, or...
Mild cognitive impairment: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is an early stage of memory or thinking decline that the person and family can notice but that does not stop most daily activities....
Mobility assistance: Mobility assistance is help with moving around, such as standing up, walking, using stairs, and getting in and out of a bed, chair, or car. A caregiver may walk beside...
Parkinson's disease: Parkinson's disease is a brain disorder that causes movement problems. Its main motor symptoms are tremor, stiffness, slowed movement, and trouble with balance and...
Sundowning: Sundowning is increased confusion, anxiety, or agitation that some people with Alzheimer's disease or other dementia feel from late afternoon through night. It can...
Toileting: Toileting, as an activity of daily living, means getting to and from the toilet, using it, and cleaning up afterward. It includes managing clothing and hygiene....
Transferring: Transferring, as an activity of daily living, means moving between surfaces, such as bed to chair, chair to standing, or wheelchair to toilet. It takes balance and...
Vascular dementia: Vascular dementia is dementia caused by damaged blood vessels in the brain, such as from strokes or small blocked or bleeding vessels. It is the second most common...

Caregivers and credentials

Background check: A background check is a review of a person's records before hiring. For caregivers it may include identity verification, criminal records, sex offender registries,...
Bonded and insured caregiver: A bonded and insured caregiver works for a business that carries a bond and liability insurance. A bond can repay a client for theft or loss. Insurance can cover...
Care coordinator: A care coordinator is a person who organizes a person's care among doctors, agencies, and family. The job includes sharing information, scheduling services, and...
Caregiver burnout: Caregiver burnout is a state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion that can come from long-term caregiving stress. Signs include constant tiredness,...
Caregiver matching: Caregiver matching is the process of pairing a family with a caregiver whose skills, schedule, and personality fit the person's needs. Agencies and registries usually...
Caregiver registry: A caregiver registry is a service that lists caregivers and matches them with families. Registries often screen and refer caregivers but may not employ them. In many...
Caregiver stress: Caregiver stress is the physical and emotional strain that comes from caring for another person over time. It can cause exhaustion, anxiety, poor sleep, and health...
Caregiver training: Caregiver training is instruction that teaches paid or family caregivers how to give safe, respectful care. Topics often include personal care, safe lifting and...
Certified nursing assistant (CNA): A certified nursing assistant (CNA) is a trained worker who gives basic care, such as bathing, dressing, toileting, moving patients, and taking vital signs, under the...
CPR and first aid certification: CPR and first aid certification shows that a person completed a course on emergencies such as cardiac arrest, choking, and bleeding. CPR means cardiopulmonary...
Dementia care training: Dementia care training teaches caregivers how to support a person with memory loss. It covers communication, daily routines, changing behavior, safety, and respect for...
Direct care worker: A direct care worker is a paid worker who gives hands-on help to people who need support with daily living. The term covers home health aides, personal care aides, and...
Electronic visit verification (EVV): Electronic visit verification (EVV) is a system that records home care visits electronically. For Medicaid personal care and home health visits, federal law requires...
Family caregiver: A family caregiver is a relative, partner, friend, or neighbor who gives unpaid help to someone with an illness, disability, or age-related needs. They may help with...
Healthcare Fraud and Abuse Control Information System (FACIS): The Healthcare Fraud and Abuse Control Information System (FACIS) is a commercial database search that compiles federal and state lists of health care workers and...
Home care agency: A home care agency is a company that employs or contracts caregivers and sends them to clients' homes. It usually handles screening, scheduling, supervision, and...
Home health aide (HHA): A home health aide (HHA) helps people at home with personal care, such as bathing, dressing, and moving around, and may help with simple health tasks under a nurse's...
Licensed home care agency: A licensed home care agency is a business that holds a state license to provide care in people's homes. Each state sets its own rules for who needs a license....
Licensed practical nurse (LPN): A licensed practical nurse (LPN), called a licensed vocational nurse (LVN) in some states, gives basic medical care, such as monitoring vital signs, changing bandages,...
Personal care aide (PCA): A personal care aide (PCA) is a non-medical caregiver who helps with daily tasks, such as bathing, dressing, meals, housekeeping, and errands, and often provides...
Private duty caregiver: A private duty caregiver is a non-medical caregiver paid directly by the family or through an agency to provide one-on-one help at home. Services can include personal...
Registered nurse (RN): A registered nurse (RN) is a licensed nurse who assesses patients, gives medicines and treatments, helps make care plans, and teaches patients and families how to...
W-2 employee versus 1099 contractor: A W-2 employee works under the employer's direction and has taxes withheld by the employer. A 1099 contractor runs their own business and pays their own taxes. The IRS...
Workers' compensation for caregivers: Workers' compensation is insurance that pays medical costs and part of lost wages when an employee is hurt at work or gets a work-related illness. States run most...

Paying for care

Accelerated death benefit: An accelerated death benefit is a payment of part of a life insurance death benefit to the insured while still alive. It is available when the insured is terminally or...
Annuity for Medicaid planning: An annuity for Medicaid planning is a contract in which a person pays a lump sum to an insurer in return for a stream of income. It may convert countable assets into...
Community spouse resource allowance: The community spouse resource allowance is the share of a married couple's resources that the spouse living at home may keep when the other spouse needs Medicaid...
Cost of home care: The cost of home care is the amount a family pays for in-home help. It depends on hours, location, the type of care, and the provider. Costs are usually quoted per...
Dependent care flexible spending account: A dependent care flexible spending account is an employer plan that lets an employee set aside pre-tax pay for care costs so the employee can work. A qualifying person...
Dual eligible: A dual eligible is a person who has both Medicare and Medicaid. Some have full Medicaid benefits. Others get Medicaid help only with Medicare costs. People with both...
Elimination period: An elimination period is the waiting time in a long-term care insurance policy before benefits begin. It works like a deductible, but it is measured in days instead of...
Health savings account (HSA): A health savings account is a tax-favored account for people with a qualifying high-deductible health plan. Money in the account can pay for qualified medical expenses...
Home and community-based services (HCBS) waiver: A home and community-based services (HCBS) waiver is a Medicaid program that pays for care at home or in the community instead of in a nursing home. States design...
Home equity loan: A home equity loan is a lump-sum loan secured by your home. You borrow against equity, which is the home's value minus what you owe on it. The rate is usually fixed,...
Homebound status: Homebound status is a Medicare rule for the home health benefit. A person is homebound when leaving home is not advised or is very hard without help, and leaving takes...
Household employer and nanny tax: A household employer is a person who pays someone to work in or around their home and controls how the work is done. Household employers may owe Social Security,...
Hybrid long-term care policy: A hybrid long-term care policy combines life insurance or an annuity with long-term care benefits. If the owner needs care, the policy pays for it. If the owner never...
Income cap trust (Miller trust): An income cap trust, also called a Miller trust or income-only trust, holds part of a person's monthly income so the person can meet a state's Medicaid income limit...
Life insurance with long-term care rider: A life insurance policy with a long-term care rider lets the owner use part of the death benefit while alive to pay for qualified care. The rider is an add-on to a...
Life settlement: A life settlement is the sale of a life insurance policy to a third party for cash. The buyer pays more than the policy's cash surrender value but less than the death...
Long-term care insurance: Long-term care insurance is a private policy that pays for help with daily living when a person can no longer manage alone. Policies typically pay a daily amount up to...
Look-back period: The look-back period is the time window Medicaid reviews when someone applies for long-term care coverage. Federal law sets it at 60 months. The state checks for gifts...
Medicaid: Medicaid is a joint federal and state health coverage program for people with limited income and resources. States run it within federal rules. Unlike Medicare,...
Medicaid asset limit: The Medicaid asset limit is the cap on countable assets a person may own and still qualify for Medicaid long-term care. Each state sets the dollar amount, and it is...
Medicaid eligibility: Medicaid eligibility for long-term care depends on need, income, and assets. States set the details. Applicants usually must show they need a nursing facility level of...
Medicaid estate recovery: Medicaid estate recovery is the process where a state seeks repayment from a deceased Medicaid member's estate. Federal law requires states to do this for members age...
Medicaid planning: Medicaid planning is the legal arrangement of income and assets so a person can meet Medicaid rules for long-term care. It may involve trusts, spousal protections, and...
Medical expense tax deduction: The medical expense tax deduction lets people who itemize deduct medical and dental costs above 7.5 percent of adjusted gross income. Qualified long-term care services...
Medicare Advantage (Part C): Medicare Advantage, also called Part C, is a Medicare-approved health plan sold by a private company. It replaces Original Medicare for most people who join. Plans...
Medicare coverage of custodial care: Custodial care is non-skilled personal care, such as help with bathing, dressing, eating, and using the bathroom. Medicare does not pay for it when it is the only care...
Medicare home health benefit: The Medicare home health benefit pays for part-time or intermittent skilled care at home. It can include skilled nursing, physical, occupational, and speech therapy,...
Medicare Part A: Medicare Part A is hospital insurance. It helps pay for inpatient hospital stays, skilled nursing facility care, hospice, and some home health care. Part A and Part B...
Medicare Part B: Medicare Part B is medical insurance. It helps pay for doctor and provider services, outpatient care, durable medical equipment such as walkers and wheelchairs, and...
Medicare Part D: Medicare Part D is prescription drug coverage. People with Medicare can get it through a separate drug plan added to Original Medicare or through a Medicare Advantage...
Medigap (Medicare supplement insurance): Medigap is private insurance that helps pay your share of Original Medicare costs, such as copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles. You generally need Part A and Part...
Private pay: Private pay means a family pays for care directly from its own money. Sources include income, savings, retirement accounts, long-term care insurance benefits, and...
Reverse mortgage: A reverse mortgage is a loan that lets homeowners borrow against home equity without making monthly mortgage payments. The most common type is the Home Equity...
Spend down: Spend down is a way to qualify for Medicaid when your income is above the state limit. In states with a medically needy program, you subtract medical expenses from...
Veterans Aid and Attendance benefit: The Veterans Aid and Attendance benefit is an extra monthly amount added to VA pension. It is for eligible veterans and surviving spouses who need another person's...
Veterans pension: The Veterans Pension is a needs-based VA benefit for wartime veterans with limited income and net worth. The veteran generally must be age 65 or older or have a...

State programs

Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC): An Aging and Disability Resource Center is a local point of contact where older adults, people with disabilities, and families can learn about long-term services and...
Alabama Community Waiver Program: The Alabama Community Waiver Program (CWP) is a home and community-based Medicaid program for Alabamians with intellectual disabilities. It has five enrollment groups...
Alabama Elderly and Disabled Waiver: The Alabama Elderly and Disabled Waiver is a Medicaid program for elderly or disabled adults who would otherwise need nursing facility care. It pays for services that...
Area Agency on Aging (AAA): An Area Agency on Aging is a public or private nonprofit agency that a state designates to meet the needs of older adults in a local area. It might cover a city, a...
Arizona Long Term Care System (ALTCS): The Arizona Long Term Care System, or ALTCS, is Arizona's Medicaid program for people who need a nursing facility level of care. It covers older adults and people with...
Cardinal Care (Virginia Medicaid): Cardinal Care is the name for Virginia's Medicaid and related health coverage programs, including Medicaid, FAMIS, and Plan First. The Department of Medical Assistance...
Commonwealth Coordinated Care Plus (CCC Plus) Waiver (Virginia): The Commonwealth Coordinated Care Plus Waiver is a Virginia Medicaid waiver that pays for care at home for older adults, people with physical disabilities, and people...
Community Alternatives Program for Disabled Adults (CAP/DA): The Community Alternatives Program for Disabled Adults, or CAP/DA, is a North Carolina Medicaid waiver for adults age 18 or older who need a nursing facility level of...
Community First Choice: Community First Choice is a Medicaid state plan option that lets states offer attendant services at home or in the community. States that choose it receive a higher...
Level of care assessment: A level of care assessment is an evaluation that decides whether a person needs the level of care that a nursing facility provides. Medicaid waiver programs require...
Medicaid managed long-term services and supports (MLTSS): Medicaid managed long-term services and supports, or MLTSS, is a way states deliver long-term care through managed care plans. The state pays each plan a fixed monthly...
Medicaid personal care services: Medicaid personal care services are hands-on help with daily activities that Medicaid pays for. States may offer them as an optional state plan benefit. They may also...
Medicaid waiver waitlist: A Medicaid waiver waitlist is a list of people who qualify for a home and community-based waiver but cannot enroll yet because the state has no open slot. States...
MI Choice Waiver: The MI Choice Waiver is Michigan's Medicaid home and community-based services waiver for adults age 65 or older and adults 18 or older with a disability. It serves...
Michigan Home Help program: The Michigan Home Help program is a Medicaid-funded program that pays for in-home personal care for eligible people. The Michigan Department of Health and Human...
Money Follows the Person: Money Follows the Person is a federal Medicaid program that helps people move from a nursing facility or other institution back to a home or community setting. States...
MyCare Ohio: MyCare Ohio is Ohio's managed care program for adults age 21 or older who have both Medicare and Medicaid. A MyCare plan can cover both sets of benefits, or Medicaid...
North Carolina Personal Care Services (PCS): North Carolina Personal Care Services, or PCS, is a Medicaid state plan benefit that pays for in-home help with daily activities. NC Medicaid runs it. A person needs a...
Ohio Assisted Living Waiver: The Ohio Assisted Living Waiver is a Medicaid program that pays for care services for people who live in a certified assisted living residence. The Ohio Department of...
Participant-directed Medicaid program: A participant-directed Medicaid program lets a person, or a representative, direct their own Medicaid-funded services. The person may hire, train, and supervise...
PASSPORT Medicaid waiver (Ohio): PASSPORT is an Ohio Medicaid waiver that helps older adults get care at home instead of in a nursing home. The Ohio Department of Aging runs it with the Ohio...
STAR+PLUS (Texas): STAR+PLUS is a Texas Medicaid managed care program for adults with disabilities and adults age 65 or older. Members choose a health plan. The plan provides health care...
STAR+PLUS Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) program: The STAR+PLUS Home and Community Based Services program is a Texas Medicaid waiver for adults who would otherwise need a nursing facility. Applicants must be 21 or...
State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP): A State Health Insurance Assistance Program is a free, state-run counseling service for people with Medicare and their families. SHIPs are federally funded through the...
Texas Community Attendant Services (CAS): Texas Community Attendant Services, or CAS, is a Medicaid-funded personal care program run through the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. An attendant helps...
Texas Primary Home Care: Texas Primary Home Care, or PHC, is a Medicaid-funded personal care program run through the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. It gives non-skilled help with...

Legal and planning

Advance care planning: Advance care planning is the process of thinking about and sharing your wishes for future medical care. It includes talking with family and doctors, naming a health...
Advance directive: An advance directive is a legal document that states your health care wishes in case you cannot decide for yourself. The two most common kinds are a living will and a...
Beneficiary designation: A beneficiary designation names who receives an asset when the owner dies. It is common on retirement accounts, life insurance and some bank accounts. It usually...
Capacity assessment: A capacity assessment is an evaluation of whether a person can make a specific decision, such as signing a legal document or agreeing to treatment. Doctors,...
Conservatorship: Conservatorship is a court process in which a judge appoints a person, the conservator, to manage another adult's affairs. In some states it covers money and property,...
Do not resuscitate order (DNR): A do not resuscitate (DNR) order is a medical order that tells health care professionals not to perform CPR if a person's heart or breathing stops. A doctor writes it,...
Durable power of attorney: A durable power of attorney is a power of attorney that stays in effect if the person who signed it becomes incapacitated. The person names an agent to make financial...
Elder law attorney: An elder law attorney is a lawyer who focuses on legal issues of older adults. Common topics include powers of attorney, wills, trusts, guardianship, long-term care...
Guardianship: Guardianship is a legal process in which a state court finds a person incapacitated and appoints someone else to make decisions for them. Some states call it...
Healthcare proxy: A healthcare proxy is a person you name to make medical decisions for you if you cannot speak for yourself. You usually name this person in a durable power of attorney...
Healthcare surrogate: A healthcare surrogate is a person who makes medical decisions for someone who cannot decide for themselves. The person may be named in a document, or state law may...
HIPAA authorization: A HIPAA authorization is a person's written permission for a health care provider or health plan to share their protected health information. It must be in plain...
Last will and testament: A last will and testament is a legal document that says who receives a person's property after death. It can name an executor to carry out those wishes. It can also...
Letters of testamentary: Letters testamentary are a court document that confirms an executor's authority to act for an estate. A probate court issues them after it accepts a will. Banks and...
Living will: A living will is a legal document that tells doctors how you want to be treated if you cannot make your own decisions about emergency treatment. You can say which...
Medical Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (MOLST): MOLST is a medical order form used in some states, such as New York and Maryland. It records a seriously ill patient's wishes about CPR and other life-sustaining...
Medical power of attorney: A medical power of attorney is a legal document that names someone to make health care decisions for you if you cannot. It is often called a durable power of attorney...
Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST): POLST is a portable medical order for seriously ill people. It records which life-sustaining treatments a person wants or does not want. A health care professional...
Power of attorney: A power of attorney (POA) is a legal document in which one person, the principal, names another person, the agent, to act for them. The agent may handle money,...
Representative payee: A representative payee is a person or organization that Social Security appoints to manage Social Security or SSI payments for a beneficiary who cannot manage them....
Revocable living trust: A revocable living trust is a legal arrangement in which a person places assets in a trust and keeps the right to change it. A trustee manages the assets for the...
Special needs trust: A special needs trust, also called a supplemental needs trust, holds money for a person with a disability. It is built to pay for extras without counting as the...

Safety and home

Adult Protective Services (APS): Adult Protective Services (APS) is a social services program run by state and local governments. It serves older adults and adults with disabilities who need help...
Aging in place: Aging in place means staying in your own home as you get older. It can include home changes, equipment, family help and paid care. The goal is to live safely and as...
Bed rail: A bed rail is a side bar attached to a bed to help a person turn or get in and out. Adult portable bed rails can cause entrapment and injury. The FDA says they should...
Bedside commode: A bedside commode is a portable chair with a toilet seat and a removable bucket. It lets a person who has trouble reaching the bathroom, especially at night, use the...
Elder abuse: Elder abuse is harm or risk of harm to an older adult by someone in a position of trust, or by a stranger. It includes physical, emotional and sexual abuse, neglect,...
Fall prevention: Fall prevention is the set of steps that lower the chance an older adult will fall. They include exercise, medicine reviews, vision checks, safer footwear and home...
Grab bars: Grab bars are sturdy handles fixed to a wall, usually in a bathroom, that give a person something solid to hold when standing, sitting or stepping. They are placed...
Home modifications: Home modifications are changes to a house that make it safer and easier to use for an older adult or a person with a disability. Examples include grab bars, ramps,...
Home safety assessment: A home safety assessment is a room-by-room check of a home for hazards that could cause falls or injuries. A trained professional such as an occupational therapist may...
Hospital bed: A hospital bed is an adjustable bed used at home for a person who needs help with positioning, rest or transfers. It raises the head and feet and often changes height....
Lift chair: A lift chair is a recliner with a motor that tilts the seat forward to help a person stand up. It is useful for people with weak legs or pain when rising. Medicare...
Long-term care ombudsman: A long-term care ombudsman is an advocate who works to resolve problems about the health, safety, welfare and rights of people in long-term care facilities. Facilities...
Medical alert system: A medical alert system is a device, often a wearable button, that lets a person call for help in an emergency. Some systems detect falls on their own. The call goes to...
Non-slip flooring: Non-slip flooring is flooring or a floor treatment that gives better grip, especially when wet. It includes textured tile, slip-resistant coatings, and adhesive strips...
Raised toilet seat: A raised toilet seat is a seat added on top of a toilet to make it higher. It makes sitting down and standing up easier for people with weak legs, sore hips or knees....
Rollator: A rollator is a walking aid with three or four wheels, hand brakes and often a built-in seat. It rolls more smoothly than a basic walker. Medicare says Part B covers...
Shower chair: A shower chair is a waterproof seat for use in a shower or tub. It lets a person sit while bathing, which lowers the risk of a fall from standing on a wet floor. Some...
Smart home monitoring for seniors: Smart home monitoring for seniors uses sensors, cameras or connected devices to track activity at home and alert family or caregivers. Examples include door sensors,...
Stairlift: A stairlift is a motorized chair that rides on a rail fixed to a staircase. It carries a person up and down stairs while seated. It suits people who can transfer to a...
Walk-in tub: A walk-in tub is a bathtub with a watertight door in its side, so a person can step in instead of climbing over a high wall. It has a built-in seat and often grab...
Walker: A walker is a frame with four legs that a person grips to steady themselves while walking. Some have wheels on the front legs. Medicare Part B covers walkers as...
Wandering: Wandering is when a person with dementia leaves a safe place or walks around without a clear purpose and may become lost. It can happen at any stage. It can be...
Wheelchair: A wheelchair is a chair on wheels that lets a person move when walking is hard or unsafe. It can be manual or powered. Medicare Part B may cover wheelchairs as durable...
Wheelchair ramp: A wheelchair ramp is a sloped surface that lets a person using a wheelchair, walker or scooter get over steps or a raised threshold. Ramps can be permanent or...

Care process

Backup caregiver: A backup caregiver is a second trained caregiver who can step in when the usual caregiver is sick, late or unavailable. Backup care helps avoid gaps. It works best...
Care advisor: A care advisor is a person who helps a family understand home care options, share needs and arrange care. At HomeCare.com, care advisors speak with new families by...
Care assessment: A care assessment is a review of a person's health, abilities, home and support to decide what help they need. It looks at daily activities, safety, memory, medicines...
Care coordination: Care coordination is the work of organizing a person's care across doctors, caregivers, services and family so the pieces fit together. It includes sharing...
Care log: A care log is a running record of care that has been given, such as meals, medicine reminders, outings, falls and mood. Caregivers and family write short notes after...
Care plan: A care plan is a written plan that lists a person's needs, goals, tasks, schedule and who does what. It covers daily help, safety steps and contacts. It changes as...
Care plan review: A care plan review is a scheduled check of whether a care plan still fits a person's needs. The family, caregivers and others look at what works and what does not....
Care team: A care team is the group of people who work together to support a person. At home it can include family, paid caregivers, doctors, nurses, therapists and a care...
Caregiver match: A caregiver match is the pairing of a caregiver with a client based on needs, skills, schedule, location and personality. A good match fits the person's care needs and...
Caregiver schedule: A caregiver schedule lists which caregiver works with a client, on which days and during which hours. It covers regular visits and changes. A clear schedule helps...
Change in condition: A change in condition is a new or worsening sign in a person's health, behavior or abilities. Examples include new confusion, a fall, less eating, new pain or more...
Daily care notes: Daily care notes are short written updates a caregiver leaves after each shift. They describe tasks done, how the person felt and anything the next caregiver or family...
Discharge planning: Discharge planning is the process a hospital, nursing home or other facility uses to prepare a patient to leave. Staff review needs, medicines, equipment and where...
Family communication: Family communication is how relatives share updates, decisions and concerns about a loved one's care. It includes regular check-ins, shared notes and clear roles. Good...
Free in-home consultation: A free in-home consultation is a no-cost visit or conversation in which a care provider learns about a person's needs and explains services. It does not commit the...
Hospital discharge: Hospital discharge is when a patient leaves the hospital to go home or to another care setting. The hospital team gives instructions, medicine lists and follow-up...
Intake: Intake is the first step in starting care, when a provider gathers basic information about the person, their needs, location and family contacts. It happens before...
Needs assessment: A needs assessment is a structured review of what help a person needs and what support they already have. It covers daily tasks, health, safety, home setup and family...
Overnight care shift: An overnight care shift is a caregiver shift that covers the night hours. The caregiver may stay awake or may rest in the home and respond when needed. Terms vary by...
Shift: A shift is a set block of time when a caregiver works with a client. A shift can be a few hours, a full day or overnight. Care that runs around the clock is usually...
Start of care: Start of care is the day a caregiver begins working with a client under an agreed plan. It follows intake and matching. It often includes a walk-through of the home, a...
Transitional care: Transitional care is support that helps a person move safely from one care setting to another, such as from hospital to home. It includes follow-up contact, medicine...

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A caregiver helping an older adult recover at home