Health, Medical and Care Terminology Seniors Should Know

Navigating the complexities of the healthcare system can be challenging, especially for seniors and their caregivers. Understanding key medical, health, and care terms is crucial to making informed decisions and advocating effectively for the best care possible. 

This guide aims to clarify essential terminology, empowering seniors and their caregivers to engage confidently with healthcare professionals and services.

Healthcare Glossary

A

Accelerated Death Benefits (ADB) – Benefits paid by a life insurance company to a policyholder who is terminally ill prior to their death.

Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) – Tasks that are typically connected to daily personal care, including grooming, eating, dressing, toileting, and taking medication.

Acute Care – Short-term medical treatment for a particular disease or condition, such as doctor visits, brief hospital stays, or surgery.

Adult Day Care – A daytime program that offers a range of social and related support services in a safe environment to adults with functional impairments..

Adult Day Health Care – A daytime program that offers a range of social, medical, and related support services in a safe environment to adults who are functionally impaired..

Adult Protective Services – A public agency that, mostly in conjunction with law enforcement, looks into allegations of abuse and neglect of vulnerable adults. 

Advance Directives – Formal written declarations that express a person’s preferences for medical care in the event that they are unable to do so for themselves.

Aid & Attendance – A type of pension program for wartime veterans.

Alzheimer’s Disease – One kind of dementia that affects memory and cognitive function, characterized by a progressive mental decline.

Ambulatory Care (also Outpatient Care) – Medical procedures and treatments that can be performed without the patient needing to be admitted to a hospital overnight.

Area Agency on Aging (AAA) or Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) – A state-designated organization tasked with organizing and arranging services in a particular region for older adults or those with disabilities. These organizations offer resources, help, information, and connections to neighborhood services.

Assisted Living – A type of supportive housing community intended for people who don’t need the round-the-clock skilled nursing care provided by traditional nursing homes but still need a little extra assistance in their daily lives. Also called Personal Care.

Assistive Technology Devices – Products that make it easier for people to live and work independently. Canes and pill organizers are examples of low-tech assistive technology; electric wheelchairs, hearing aids, and smartphones are examples of high-tech products..

At-Home Care – Medical care provided to seniors in their place of residence other than in an assisted living or skilled nursing community. 

C

Cardiologist – A medical doctor who specializes in heart disorders.

Care Allowance Plan – A type of long-term care insurance benefit in which the insurance company pays a predetermined amount for care on a daily, monthly, or annual basis, rather than covering the full cost of care.

Cash Surrender Value – The cash value of a life insurance policy in the event that the policyholder cancels and resells the contract to the insurance provider.

CHAMPVA – Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs, a medical insurance program for veterans’ families.

Chronic Disease – A condition that lasts for a year or longer and that either makes it difficult for a person to take care of themselves, bathe, dress, eat, or walk, or it limits their ability to do so.

Cohousing – A type of small-scale planned community where rental units, townhomes, and single-family homes are arranged around shared facilities like a dining area and kitchen, common areas for gathering and crafting, meeting rooms, gardens, and possibly day care centers for adults and children. The intention is to create a neighborhood where residents of all ages and family situations can count on the assistance of their neighbors.

Community Meal Program – Provides healthy, well-balanced meals to people 60 years and older, as well as their younger spouses, at various community locations. 

Comorbidity – The coexistence, or presence, of multiple disorders in one individual. They may happen simultaneously or one after the other. The course of both illnesses may worsen due to interactions between them.

Competence – In a legal sense, competence refers to the capacity of an individual to comprehend information, make decisions based on that information, and convey those decisions in a clear and concise manner.

Conservator – A person designated by a court to manage a person’s affairs in the event that the original person is unable to do so. A conservator typically only deals with money matters.

Consumer-Directed Personal Assistance Program – A Medicaid program available in several states that permits chronically ill and physically disabled people to select, train, and manage caregivers who assist them with daily living tasks like cleaning, meal preparation, and bathing so they can continue living in their homes. Through this program, some participants’ friends and family may be eligible to receive compensation.

Continuing Care Contract – A contract that limits the overall number of days that a patient may receive care. If the senior needs more care, it can be paid for at that time at a reduced cost.

Continuing Care Retirement Communities – A community that offers a range of care services, including skilled nursing, assisted living, and private housing. These are intended for seniors with deteriorating conditions as well as those who wish to spend their senior years in one place.

Copayment (Copays) – The set amounts that patients must pay for insurance-covered medical services after their deductible has been met.

Custodial Care – Care that is primarily given to meet personal needs, such as helping someone who is not trained in medicine to bathe, dress, eat, or take medication.

D

Death Benefit Loans – Loans made to policyholders by life insurance companies, secured by their death benefits.

Delirium – A short-term condition characterized by momentary disorientation, attention problems, disordered speech, and hallucinations.

Dementia – A general term for a mental decline that is severe enough to interfere with day-to-day functioning. One example is memory loss. Although Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia, not all dementia is caused by the disease.

Dermatologist – A physician with a focus on skin conditions.

Discharge Planner – A specialist who works with patients and their families to create a plan of care for a patient after they have been admitted to the hospital or a nursing home. 

Do Not Resuscitate Order (DNR) – A type of advance directive that instructs medical professionals not to try cardiopulmonary resuscitation if a patient’s heart or breathing stops.

Durable Power of Attorney – A legal document that designates a specific person to act on one’s behalf in financial, legal, and medical matters in the event that a person becomes incapacitated and unable to manage things alone. Until the grantor cancels it or passes away, it is still in force.

E

Elimination Period – The number of days a person must maintain a long-term care policy before receiving benefits.

Endocrinologist – A physician with a focus on metabolic and hormonal disorders, such as diabetes.

Extended Care – A hospital or nursing home that provides short-term or transitional care to patients in rehabilitation with the aim of allowing them to return home.

F

Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) – A federal labor law that allows certain employees to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave per year with job protection in order to attend to family and medical emergencies. Additionally, the law mandates that workers’ group health benefits be continued while they are on leave.

Family Caregiver – Anyone who helps someone else who is ill, disabled, or needs assistance with daily tasks without receiving compensation.

Fee-For-Service Contract – An agreement that requires residents to pay their medical and residential expenses separately.

G

Gastroenterologist – A physician with a focus on digestive issues.

Geriatric Assessment – An extensive evaluation of an older person’s medical, social, and economical requirements with the aim of raising their standard of living in general.

Geriatric Care Manager – A fee-based specialist who evaluates a person’s long-term care requirements and financial status, then plans and oversees the provision of the required care services.

Geriatrician – A physician who specializes in treating older adults.

Guardian – A person designated by the court to look after and manage someone else who has been found to be incapable of making decisions for themselves. 

H

Health Care Power of Attorney (Health Care Proxy) – A special type of durable power of attorney whereby someone designates a substitute to handle health care decisions in the event that they are unable to do so.

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) – A federal law that gives a person control over their health information and establishes guidelines and restrictions on who has access to it. Additionally, it allows the disclosure of private health information required for patient care.

Hematologist – A physician who specializes in blood disorders.

Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) – Help given to people in their homes or communities as opposed to nursing homes. Medicaid programs frequently employ this phrase.

Home Equity Sharing Programs – A contract that gives a homeowner a lump-sum payment now in exchange for a portion of their future home equity.

Home Health Agency – Organizations frequently approved by Medicare to offer in-home health services, including social work, personal care, nursing, occupational, speech, or physical therapy.

Home Health Aide – A person who assists with dressing, grooming, bathing, meal preparation, and light housekeeping.

Homemaker Services – Workers from state-certified agencies who help people in need of assistance in their homes by doing light housekeeping, meal preparation, laundry, shopping, and other tasks. Although certain states’ Medicaid programs assist eligible low-income adults in paying for these services, Medicare does not cover them.

Hospice – A type of care that offers physical, psychological, social, and spiritual support to terminal patients and their families in an effort to relieve symptoms without treating the underlying cause.

I

Incontinence – The inability of the body to regulate a person’s bowel or bladder functions.

Independent Living – Communities made up of single-family homes or townhomes for seniors who are self-sufficient but still desire the safety and social interactions of a community setting.

Informed Consent – The process of reaching decisions regarding medical treatment or research based on direct and honest communication between the patient, the healthcare provider, and the patient’s family.

Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) – Basic daily activities such as budgeting, shopping, using the phone, going places, cleaning, cooking, and taking medications.

L

Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) – A person who has finished nursing or vocational training and obtained a state license to perform basic duties in hospitals, nursing homes, and long-term care facilities.

Life Care Contract – A care contract in which all long-term care expenses are paid for without the need for additional payments.

Life Settlement – When a policyholder sells their life insurance to a third party and receives a one-time cash payment.

Living Will – A legal document in which the signer states that if they are incapacitated beyond a reasonable expectation of recovery, they would prefer to be left to pass away naturally rather than be kept alive artificially.

Long-Term Care Insurance – Insurance that may cover a portion of the cost of care received in a nursing home, assisted living facility, or at home for other approved purposes. depending on the policy chosen.

Long-Term Care Ombudsman – A person who looks into and handles complaints on behalf of people residing in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities.

M

Meals on Wheels – A program that provides hot meals to elderly or disabled persons every day in their homes.

Medicaid – A government-funded program that offers low-income adults, children, pregnant women, elderly adults, and individuals with disabilities access to health care. Medicaid is funded in part by the federal government and the states, with the states carrying out program administration in compliance with federal regulations.

Medicare Advantage (Medicare Part C) – A type of private health insurance that covers all of the benefits provided by “original” Medicare (parts A and B). For an additional premium, these plans typically offer non-Medicare benefits like prescription drug coverage, dental and vision coverage, and even gym memberships.

Medicare Saving Program – An array of initiatives aimed at alleviating the cost of co-pays, premiums, and care for seniors in need of financial assistance but ineligible for Medicaid.

Medicare Supplemental Insurance (Medigap) – A policy that increases Medicare benefits.

Medicare Telehealth Services – Phone or video chat visits with medical professionals that are covered by Medicare.

Medicare – A government health insurance program available to those over 65 and to certain younger individuals with disabilities. Medicare pays for doctor visits, hospital stays, prescription medications, and other medical needs. Long-term care is not covered by Medicare.

Memory Cafe – A meeting spot where people with dementia or other brain disorders and their carers can interact, offer support to one another, and exchange information in a safe and encouraging atmosphere. 

Memory Care – Distinct communities or specialized units within an assisted living center that are designed to support individuals with dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease and other types. The staff is specially trained to address memory issues and other impairments.

Mortgage Insurance Premium – A unique kind of insurance that offers extra consumer protections and is necessary for borrowers with reverse mortgages. 

N

National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP) – A federal program that offers funding to states and territories in support of initiatives to help caregivers stay at home as long as possible by offering respite care, counseling, training, and other support.

Nephrologist – A medical professional with expertise in kidney disorders.

Neurologist – A physician with expertise in disorders of the nervous system.

Nurse Practitioner (NP) – A primary care physician who has completed graduate training in advanced practice nursing and is authorized to order tests, write referrals, and prescribe medication. 

Nursing Home – A public or private residential community that offers elderly, disabled, or chronically ill individuals who are unable to care for themselves an advanced level of long-term personal or medical care.

O

Oncologist – A physician with a focus on treating cancer.

Ophthalmologist – A physician with a focus on eye surgery and conditions.

Orthopedic surgeon or orthopedist – A physician with expertise in bone and connective tissue disorders.

Osteopath (DO) – A doctor with an expertise in manual medicine and the body’s musculoskeletal system. 

Otolaryngologist or Otorhinolaryngologist – A physician who focuses on issues related to the ear, nose, and throat (ENT).

P

Palliative Care – Professionally coordinated services that address the physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs of patients and their families facing life-threatening illnesses. It aims to preserve the maximum degree of comfort.

Patient Advocate – A medical professional who can address concerns regarding a patient’s experience receiving care, especially when those concerns are not immediately resolved. 

Personal Care Aides – Individuals that provide custodial care, or non-medical care, in a senior’s place of residence.

Personal Care Services (PCS) – A general term for assistance that in-home personal care aides (PCAs) provide with personal hygiene and other self-care tasks like eating, dressing, going to the bathroom, walking, and maintaining personal appearance. Additionally, some PCAs assist with grocery shopping, meal preparation, and money management.

Personal Emergency Response System (PERS) – This portable electronic device, sometimes referred to as a medical alert system, features a call button that a person can use to request assistance in an emergency.

Physician Assistant (PA) – A master’s-level healthcare worker who collaborates with a physician or doctor of osteopathic medicine, usually in a primary care context.

Podiatrist – A physician with specific training in treating issues with the feet and ankles.

Power of Attorney (POA) – A legal document that designates a person chosen to act on someone’s behalf, usually with regard to finances.

Primary Care Physician (PCP) – The physician someone visits initially for examinations and medical issues. These medical professionals may specialize in internal medicine for adults or pediatrics for children, or they may have family practices that serve patients of all ages.

Priority Group – One of eight groups that each veteran is placed into according to their assets, disabilities, and other considerations. These have a significant role in deciding the veteran’s eligibility for health benefits.

Program of All Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) – A comprehensive care program offered by Medicare.

Progressive Neurological Condition – A variety of illnesses, such as dementia or Alzheimer’s, in which the patient experiences symptoms that get worse over time.

Psychiatrist – A physician with a specialty in emotional and mental illnesses.

Psychologist – A specialist who is not a medical doctor but can help patients and their families make decisions by having conversations with them about sensitive and private issues.

Q

Qualified Disabled & Working Individuals – One of many programs created to assist seniors in need of financial assistance who are not qualified for Medicaid with the cost of co-pays, premiums, and care.

R

Radiologist – A medical doctor who specializes in X-rays and related procedures such as computed tomography (CT) scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasound tests.

Registered Nurse (RN) – A health professional who has completed a nursing program, passed the state board exam, and obtained a state license.

Rehabilitation Hospital – A  type of medical facility that offers treatment and education to help patients regain their ability to function physically or cognitively after suffering from a serious illness, accident, or other medical event (like a stroke).

Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) – A subset of telehealth services that enables patients to use technology and mobile medical devices to collect and transmit patient-generated health data to medical professionals, including blood pressure, heart rate, and weight.

Respite Care – Temporary relief from caring for a loved one. Family members, friends or both may use respite programs such as adult day services. A paid in-home care provider can also be sent to a residence.

Reverse Mortgage – A loan for seniors backed by the equity in their homes and in which the homeowner receives payments from the lender. These loans are often used to fund medical care.

Rheumatologist – A physician who specializes in treating pain and other symptoms associated with joints and other musculoskeletal system components, including bones, cartilage, ligaments, muscles, and tendons, is known as a rheumatologist.

S

Senior Center – Places where senior citizens can go to be active, engage in different social activities, and generally enhance their quality of life.

Service-Connected Disability – A disability incurred by a veteran that was in some way connected to their time spent in the armed forces.

Skilled Care – Nursing or rehabilitation services that licensed health workers, such as physical therapists and nurses, perform on a doctor’s order.

Skilled Nursing – Senior residential homes where licensed healthcare providers provide care.

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) – Monthly benefit payments to individuals under retirement age who have a serious illness or disability that will not allow them to work for a minimum of a year or is anticipated to cause their death.. 

Social Security – The United States government’s social insurance program, known as Social Security, pays monthly benefits to retired workers who are 62 years of age or older, as well as to their spouses, ex-spouses, children, and survivors, as well as to individuals with disabilities that prohibit them from working for an extended period of time.

Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary – One of several programs created to assist seniors who are ineligible for Medicaid with the cost of co-pays, premiums, and care. 

Spend Down – The process by which an elderly person uses all of their assets to pay for their care up until the point at which they are no longer able to qualify for Medicaid.

Sundowners Syndrome (Sundowning) – A confused state that lasts into the night and into the late afternoon. It manifests as a variety of behaviors, including increased confusion, anxiety, agitation, and insomnia, and is most frequently observed in patients with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) – A program the Social Security Administration oversees that pays monthly benefits to people with limited income and resources who are disabled, blind, or age 65 or older. 

Surrogate – A person designated to act in lieu of another, such as in medical or financial decisions.

T

TRICARE – A medical insurance program for military retirees and their families.

U

Urologist – A physician who focuses on conditions affecting the male and female urinary tracts and the male reproductive system.

V

Viatical Settlement – The act that occurs when a policyholder who is terminally ill sells their life insurance to a third party in exchange for a one-time cash payment. 

Find Out What You Need to Know at Senior Lifestyle 

Being well-versed in medical, health, and care terminology equips seniors and their caregivers to communicate more effectively with healthcare providers and make informed choices about their care. 

Senior Lifestyle always looks out for seniors’ well-being. We’ll take care of their daily needs, such as cleaning, cooking meals, and maintaining their living area while they enjoy their golden years.

Find out more about Senior Lifestyle or schedule a visit today.