In care facilities, staff members might use terms that you are unfamiliar with. Many of these terms might be medical terms that relate to the care of your loved one. Other common nursing home terms refer to administrative terms. Also, they relate to how the facility operates. In order to understand your loved one’s treatment and make sure that they have the best care possible in a nursing home or a similar facility, you should understand these basic nursing home terms. Also, you might find these terms on our website.
Administrative and Legal Terms
Below, you can find a few administrative and legal terms that you might come across if your loved one lives in a nursing home.
- Activities of Daily Living. Activities of Daily living (ADL) are the physical actions that a person performs on a daily basis. This includes activities such as getting dressed, walking to and from different places, bathing, using the bathroom, eating, and more.
- Advanced Directives. This is a document written by the nursing home resident, a family member, or a lawyer. It outlines guidelines for their care. Having this document will help protect their rights in the home. This is especially the case if the resident has mental or physical disabilities.
- Conservator. A conservator is a person appointed by the court. Their job is to protect the rights of someone who has a disability. A conservator will act as legal representation.
- Durable Medical Equipment. This term means that a piece of equipment meets certain criteria. Durable medical equipment gets used on a person who has an illness or injury. It is appropriate for the facility and can stand up to multiple uses. It also mainly serves a medical purpose.
- Guardianship. This is an extreme measure that happens when a person is legally incompetent. It limits that person’s rights and appoints someone to handle their legal affairs.
Medical Terms
In addition to these terms, there are some medical terms that you should be aware of.
- Acute. The word acute refers to a condition that a nursing home resident has developed. It means that the issue came about without warning.
- Chronic. A lasting illness or symptom.
- Co-Morbidities. This term means that a person has many different disease processes.
- Geriatrics. This is the medical branch that deals with elderly health and care.
- Sub-Acute Care. This is usually short term care for people who have experienced acute illness. A person who needs short term rehabilitation needs this kind of care.
These terms are common nursing home terms. You might come across these terms if your loved one lives in a care facility. If you need information about another term that you come across, contact a nursing home neglect and abuse lawyer.
