Definitions

Adult Day Care
A daytime community-based program for functionally impaired adults that provides a variety of health, social, and related support services in a protective setting.

Assisted Living
Residences that provide a "home with services" and that emphasize residents' privacy and choice. Residents typically have private locking rooms (only shared by choice) and bathrooms. Personal care services are available on a 24-hour-a-day basis. (Licensed as residential care facilities or as rest homes.)

Alzheimer's Disease
A progressive, irreversible disease characterized by degeneration of the brain cells and serve loss of memory, causing the individual to become dysfunctional and dependent upon others for basic living needs.

Board and Care Home
(Also called adult care home or group home.) Residence which offers housing and personal care services for 3 to 16 residents. Services (such as meals, supervision, and transportation) are usually provided by the owner or manager. May be single family home.

Caregiver
Person who provides support and assistance with various activities to a family member, friend, or neighbor. May provide emotional or financial support, as well as hands-on help with different tasks. Caregiving may also be done from long distance.

Care/Case Management
Offers a single point of entry to the aging services network. Care/case management assess clients' needs, create service plans, and coordinate and monitor services; they may operate privately or may be employed by social service agencies or public programs. Typically case managers are nurses or social workers.

Chore Services
Help with chores such as home repairs, yard work, and heavy housecleaning.

Continuum of Care
The entire spectrum of specialized health, rehabilitative, and residential services available to the frail and chronically ill. The services focus on the social, residential, rehabilitative and supportive needs of individuals as well as needs that are essentially medical in nature.

Dementia
Term which describes a group of diseases (including Alzheimer's Disease) which are characterized by memory loss and other declines in mental functioning.

Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
A 1993 federal law requiring employers with more than 50 employees to provide eligible workers up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for birth, adoptions, foster care placement, and illnesses of employees and their families.

Geriatrician
Physician who is certified in the care of older people.

Gerontology
Study of the biological, psychological and social processes of aging.

Homebound
One of the requirements to qualify for Medicare home health care. Means that someone is generally unable to leave the house, and if they do leave home, it is only for a short time (e.g., for a medical appointment) and requires much effort.

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Levels of Care

Independent Living
A living arrangement that maximizes independence and self-determination, especially of disabled persons living in a community instead of in a medical facility.
A social movement asserting that people with disabilities should have the same civil rights and life choices as people without disabilities.

Assited Living
Residences that provide a "home with services" and that emphasize residents' privacy and choice. Residents typically have private locking rooms (only shared by choice) and bathrooms. Personal care services are available on a 24-hour-a-day basis. (Licensed as residential care facilities or as rest homes.)

Skilled Nursing
Daily nursing and rehabilitative care that can be performed only by or under the supervision of, skilled medical personnel.

Total Care
24-hour nursing care.

Hospice Care
Services for the terminally ill provided in the home, a hospital, or a long-term care facility. Includes home health services, volunteer support, grief counseling, and pain management.