Plain-English definitions of the terms that turn up on intake forms, insurance letters, discharge paperwork, and equipment listings. Terms in bold within a definition appear elsewhere in this list.
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| ADLs (Activities of Daily Living) | The six basic self-care tasks: bathing, dressing, toileting, transferring, continence, and eating. Eligibility for many programs and insurance benefits is written in terms of how many ADLs a person needs help with. |
| Adult day program | A supervised daytime program offering meals, activities, and often health services. Commonly used to provide structure for the participant and respite for the caregiver. |
| Advance directive | A written statement of a person’s wishes about medical treatment, to be used if they cannot speak for themselves. Not the same as a POLST. |
| Aging in place | Remaining in one’s own home as needs change, rather than moving to a care setting. |
| Area Agency on Aging (AAA) | The local agency that plans and coordinates services for older adults in a defined area. See our page on AAAs. |
| Assisted living | Housing with meals, personal care, and supervision, for people who do not need skilled nursing. Regulated at the state level, so what the term covers varies widely. |
| Assignment (Medicare) | A supplier’s agreement to accept Medicare’s approved amount as full payment. Using a supplier who does not accept assignment can cost significantly more. |
| Bariatric | Equipment built for higher weight capacities. Standard equipment typically tops out around 250–300 lb; bariatric models go well beyond. |
| Care plan | The written plan of what care a person receives, who provides it, and when. In a facility, families have the right to take part in care plan meetings. |
| Congregate meals | Meals served at a community site such as a senior center. See senior nutrition programs. |
| CMS | The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the federal agency that runs Medicare and oversees Medicaid. |
| DME (Durable Medical Equipment) | Medicare’s category for reusable medical equipment used at home, walkers, wheelchairs, hospital beds, oxygen. See costs and coverage. |
| Eldercare Locator | The national referral service connecting people to local aging services. 1-800-677-1116. |
| Extra Help | The federal subsidy that lowers Medicare Part D drug costs for people with limited income and resources. Also called the Low-Income Subsidy (LIS). |
| Gait belt | A sturdy belt placed around the waist so a helper can steady or guide someone during standing and walking. Used correctly it protects both people; it is not a lifting device. |
| Guardianship | A court process giving one person legal authority to make decisions for another found unable to make them. A last resort, powers of attorney and supported decision-making are less restrictive alternatives. |
| HCBS waiver | Home and Community-Based Services waiver. A state Medicaid program funding care at home for people who would otherwise qualify for nursing facility care. |
| Home health | Skilled care at home, nursing, physical or occupational therapy, ordered by a clinician. Different from home care, which is non-medical help with daily tasks. |
| Hospice | Comfort-focused care for people expected to be in the last six months of life. Covered by Medicare, and can be provided at home. |
| IADLs (Instrumental Activities of Daily Living) | The tasks of running a household: cooking, cleaning, shopping, managing money, managing medications, using the phone, transportation. Usually the first abilities to need support. |
| Level of care determination | A state assessment of whether someone needs nursing-facility-level care. The gate for many Medicaid long-term care programs. |
| LTSS | Long-Term Services and Supports. The umbrella term for ongoing help with daily activities, whether at home or in a facility. |
| Medicaid | Joint federal and state health coverage based on income and assets. Unlike Medicare, it pays for long-term custodial care for those who qualify. |
| Medicare Advantage (Part C) | Medicare coverage delivered through a private plan. Must cover what Original Medicare covers and may add benefits, with its own network and rules. |
| Medigap | Private supplemental insurance that pays some of Original Medicare’s deductibles and coinsurance. Cannot be used with Medicare Advantage. |
| MSP (Medicare Savings Program) | State programs that pay Medicare premiums, and sometimes cost sharing, for people under certain income limits. |
| Occupational therapist (OT) | A clinician who assesses how a person performs daily tasks and adapts the task, the tool, or the environment. The professional most useful for home safety questions. |
| Older Americans Act (OAA) | The 1965 federal law that funds the aging services network, meals, caregiver support, legal services, the ombudsman program. |
| Ombudsman (long-term care) | A free advocate for residents of nursing homes and assisted living. See legal help and the ombudsman. |
| PACE | Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly. Combines medical care and long-term services for people 55+ who meet nursing-home level of care, in participating areas. |
| PASRR | Preadmission Screening and Resident Review, required before admission to a Medicaid-certified nursing facility. See our page on PASRR. |
| POLST / MOLST | A medical order, signed by a clinician, describing treatment wishes for someone who is seriously ill. Followed by emergency responders, unlike an advance directive. |
| Power of attorney (durable) | A document naming someone to act on another’s behalf, remaining effective if that person loses capacity. Separate documents usually cover finances and health care. |
| Pressure injury | Skin and tissue damage from sustained pressure, most often over bony areas during long periods in a bed or chair. Repositioning and pressure-redistributing surfaces are the standard preventive measures. |
| Respite | Temporary care that gives the regular caregiver a break. Funded in part through the National Family Caregiver Support Program. |
| Rollator | A wheeled walker with hand brakes and usually a seat. Different from a standard walker, which is lifted or has only front wheels, see walkers and rollators. |
| SHIP | State Health Insurance Assistance Program. Free, unbiased Medicare counseling in every state. Does not sell insurance. |
| SNF (Skilled Nursing Facility) | A facility providing skilled nursing or rehabilitation. Medicare may cover a limited stay after a qualifying hospital admission; it does not cover long-term custodial care. |
| Transfer | Moving between surfaces, bed to chair, chair to car, chair to toilet. The point at which most falls and most caregiver injuries happen, which is why transfer aids matter. |
| Universal design | Designing spaces and products to be usable by as many people as possible without adaptation. Lever handles instead of knobs is the classic example. |
Missing something that confused you? Tell us the term and we will add it.