As we age, or care for aging family members, it can become confusing to navigate the different types of care available, along with the terminology professionals use to describe them. We’ve built out this glossary, organized alphabetically, so you can quickly find and understand the terms you’re likely to encounter when exploring care options for yourself or a loved one.
A
Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) – Daily self-care tasks such as eating, bathing, dressing, continence, transferring, and toileting. ADLs are commonly assessed when determining what level of care a person needs.
Adult Day Care – An outpatient program that individuals attend during the day, either for socialization or for prescribed health care services, before returning home in the evening. Transportation may be provided. There are two general models:
- Social Model – Provides socialization and meals in a supervised setting, traditionally private pay.
- Medical Model – Provides healthcare services, including medication administration and physical therapy, in addition to socialization and meals. Typically staffed with nurses and can be covered by Medicaid.
Gurwin offers both models through our Adult Day Care Program.
Adult Home – A community residence that houses older adults, traditionally with a high level of independence. These homes are private pay.
Advance Directives – A set of legal documents that let you specify your wishes for end-of-life care and appoint someone you trust to make decisions on your behalf if you’re unable to. Advance directives typically include a Health Care Proxy, Living Will, and, when appropriate, a MOLST form.
Alzheimer’s Disease – The most common cause of dementia, a progressive brain disease that gradually impairs memory, thinking, and the ability to carry out daily activities. See Dementia and Memory Care below.
Ambulance – Transportation for individuals who require a stretcher.
Ambulette – Transportation for individuals who can travel seated in a wheelchair rather than lying on a stretcher.
Assisted Living – A residential option for older adults who need minimal assistance with ADLs. Generally, meals, some personal care, and activities are provided. Most assisted living communities are private pay, though a limited number on Long Island accept Medicaid.
C
Care Coordination (also Case Management) – The process of organizing a person’s care across multiple providers, services, and settings, so that medical, social, and personal needs are addressed as a connected whole rather than in isolation.
Chronic Care – The care and services provided to a patient with continuing, long-term health issues. Sometimes referred to as long-term care.
Companion Care – Non-medical, one-on-one support that provides a trusted individual’s presence in the home or at a care facility. Companion services offer social interaction and safety monitoring, and are often used to give family caregivers peace of mind.
Continence – The ability to control bladder and/or bowel movements.
D
Dementia – A general term for a decline in memory, reasoning, or other cognitive abilities severe enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause, but dementia can result from several different underlying conditions.
Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) – A physician’s order placed in a patient’s medical chart instructing staff not to attempt resuscitation if breathing or heartbeat has stopped.
Dialysis – A medical treatment that filters waste and excess fluid from the blood for individuals whose kidneys can no longer do so on their own. Dialysis can be provided on an outpatient basis or within a skilled nursing setting.
Durable Medical Equipment (DME) – Equipment intended for repeated use, such as wheelchairs, walkers, and commodes.
E
Eldercare Attorney – An attorney who specializes in legal issues affecting seniors and their families, from estate planning to long-term care and Medicaid eligibility. Eldercare attorneys are experts in Medicaid rules and regulations and can assist with completing and filing applications.
H
Health Care Proxy (HCP) – A legal document that allows you to appoint someone you trust, such as a family member or close friend, to make health care decisions for you if you lose the ability to make them yourself.
Home Care – Skilled and unskilled services provided to an individual in their own home, ranging from a few hours a week to 24-hour support. Learn more about Gurwin’s home care services.
Home Health Aide – A licensed provider who assists individuals in the home with activities of daily living. A home health aide does not provide medical care.
Hospice Care – Support and palliative care for people in the final stages of a terminal illness, provided either in the home or in a facility. Hospice may include physical support along with emotional and spiritual counseling for the patient and family. To qualify, an individual generally must have a prognosis of six months or less. Learn more about Gurwin’s Palliative and Hospice Care.
I
Independent Living – A residential option for active older adults who don’t need regular help with daily activities but want the convenience of maintenance-free living, amenities, and a built-in social community. Independent living residents typically live in private apartments or cottages and pay privately. Learn more about Fountaingate Gardens, Gurwin’s independent living community.
Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs) – More complex daily tasks beyond basic self-care, such as managing finances, preparing meals, managing medications, using the telephone, and handling transportation. IADLs are often assessed alongside ADLs to get a fuller picture of someone’s independence.
L
Life Plan Community (also Continuing Care Retirement Community, or CCRC) – A campus that offers multiple levels of care, such as independent living, assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing, in one location. This allows residents to move between levels of care as their needs change, without having to relocate to an unfamiliar community.
Living Will – A legal document that states your wishes regarding medical treatment, particularly life-sustaining measures, in the event you’re unable to communicate those wishes yourself.
M
Managed Long Term Care (MLTC) – A Medicaid benefit that delivers long-term services to people who are chronically ill or disabled and wish to remain in their home or community, whether through in-home services or an adult day health program.
Medicaid – A joint federal and state program providing health care insurance for people with low incomes and limited assets. Each state sets its own limits on how much a person can earn or own and still qualify for benefits.
Medical Order for Life Sustaining Treatment (MOLST) – A medical order form documenting a patient’s wishes for life-sustaining treatment. MOLST is generally intended for patients with serious health conditions and must reflect the patient’s current medical condition, values, and wishes.
Medicare – A federal program providing hospital and medical insurance for people age 65 and older, and for certain younger people with disabilities or chronic illness.
Memory Care – A specialized level of care designed for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia, typically featuring secure environments, trained staff, and programming built around cognitive support. Memory care can be offered within a skilled nursing setting or as part of assisted living. Learn more about Gurwin’s Memory Care programs.
P
Palliative Care – Specialized medical care for people with serious illness, focused on relieving symptoms, pain, and stress, whatever the underlying diagnosis. Palliative care is provided by a team of doctors, nurses, and other specialists working alongside a patient’s existing physicians. It’s appropriate at any age and stage of illness and can be provided alongside curative treatment. Learn more about Gurwin’s Palliative and Hospice Care.
Power of Attorney (POA) – A legal document that authorizes someone you trust to act on your behalf in financial or legal matters. A POA is distinct from a Health Care Proxy, which covers medical decisions specifically.
R
Respiratory and Ventilator Care – Specialized medical care and therapy for individuals with breathing difficulties or those who depend on a ventilator, typically provided within a skilled nursing setting by respiratory therapists and clinical staff.
Respite Care – Temporary or short-term care provided to a patient at home or in a facility so the primary family caregiver can rest or take a break.
S
Secondary Insurance (also Medigap) – A privately purchased insurance plan that covers the portion of skilled services, typically around 20%, that Medicare does not.
Short-Term Rehabilitation – Care provided within a nursing home or rehabilitation center with the goal of returning to the community within a short period, with an average stay of about 18 days. Learn more about Gurwin’s Rehabilitation Services in Commack or Island Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Holtsville.
Skilled Nursing Facility / Nursing Home – The highest-intensity level of long-term care outside a hospital. A skilled nursing facility is a health facility, or a distinct part of a hospital, that provides 24-hour nursing care on an inpatient basis, with at minimum a registered nurse or LPN on duty at all times and a licensed physician on call. Learn more about Gurwin’s Skilled Nursing services.
W
Wound Care – Specialized treatment for chronic, surgical, or hard-to-heal wounds, often provided by nurses or clinicians with advanced wound-care training as part of a broader care plan.
Have Questions About Your Care Options?
Understanding the terminology is often the first step toward making confident, informed decisions about care, whether you’re planning ahead or navigating a sudden change in a loved one’s needs. If you’d like guidance on which level of care might be right for your situation, our team is here to help.
Contact Gurwin Healthcare System to speak with someone who can walk you through your options.
