Terms
ADL: activities of daily living.
Advance Directives: a legal document (as a living will) signed by a competent person to provide guidance for medical and health-care decisions (as the termination of life support or organ donation) in the event the person becomes incompetent to make such decisions.
Assisted Living: a system of housing and limited care that is designed for senior citizens who need some assistance with daily activities but do not require care in a nursing home -usually hyphenated when used attributively <an assisted-living facility>.
Caregiver: a person who provides direct care (as for children, elderly people, or the chronically ill).
Conservatorship: a person, official, or institution designated to take over and protect the interests of an incompetent.
Dementia: a usually progressive condition (as Alzheimer's disease) marked by deteriorated cognitive functioning often with emotional apathy.
Disability: a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.
Financial Power of Attorney: This names an individual to make financial decisions on your behalf, including paying bills.
Guardianship: one who has the care of the person or property of another.
Healthcare Power of Attorney: Here you name an individual who will make medical decisions on your behalf, when you yourself are no longer able to do so.
HIPAA: This authorizes named individuals to be given access to your medical information. No matter the relationship (parent-child, even husband-wife), medical offices and hospitals generally require this document- even in emergencies.
Living Will: This contains your decisions regarding life-sustaining medical treatment, and provides your Healthcare Power of Attorney with guidelines on which to act.
Medicaid: a program of medical aid designed for those unable to afford regular medical service and financed by the state and federal governments.
Medicare: a government program of medical care especially for the aged.
Nursing Home: a privately operated establishment providing maintenance and personal or nursing care for persons (as the aged or the chronically ill) who are unable to care for themselves properly.
Occupational Therapy: therapy based on engagement in meaningful activities of daily life (as self-care skills, education, work, or social interaction) especially to enable or encourage participation in such activities despite impairments or limitations in physical or mental functioning.
Social Worker: any of various professional activities or methods concretely concerned with providing social services and especially with the investigation, treatment, and material aid of the economically, physically, mentally, or socially disadvantaged.
Will: This document allows you to specify what will be done with your property, and names your estate executor. It can also name guardians for your minor children.
