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Providence Glossary of Senior Healthcare Industry Terms| Helping ordinary people make sense of healthcare industry jargonADL (Activities of Daily Living) | Things we do in normal everyday life — feeding ourselves, bathing, dressing, grooming, etc. The ability or inability to perform ADLs can be used as a practical measure of ability and can help determine what type of living arrangement or rehab someone might need. Acute care | Short-term medical services provided to treat an illness or injury or to aid recovery from surgery. Mosby's Medical Dictionary says, "Acute care is usually given in a hospital by specialized personnel using complex and sophisticated technical equipment and materials... This pattern of care is often necessary for only a short time, unlike chronic care." ADL (Activities of Daily Living) | Things we do in normal everyday life — feeding ourselves, bathing, dressing, grooming, etc. The ability or inability to perform ADLs can be used as a practical measure of ability and can help determine what type of living arrangement or rehab someone might need. AL (Assisted Living) | A type of long-term care community for people who are able to get around on their own but who may need help with some activities of daily living. Some people choose Assisted Living simply because they prefer the convenience of having their meals in a central cafeteria and having nursing staff on call. Alzheimer's Disease | A progressive and incurable disease that destroys brain cells, causing problems with memory, thinking, speech, and behavior. Named after the German physician who first described it. The disease itself cannot yet be cured, but advances in understanding the effects have led to treatments that ease both the symptoms of the sufferer and the frustration of the caregivers. CCRC (Continuing Care Retirement Community) | A community that offers varying levels of care within the same system, allowing people to "buy in" at a set price and take advantage of more services and higher levels of care as they age. Chronic illness | A life-long condition or disease that will not improve and typically results in long-term care needs. Examples include Alzheimer's Disease, diabetes, and arthritis. Custodial care | Medical or non-medical services intended to maintain a current level of health, rather than curing or improving. Much long-term nursing care is considered custodial as the medical condition of the patient is not expected to change. Dementia | Loss of memory and other intellectual abilities to a degree severe enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer's Disease is one form of dementia. Hospice | A care situation designed to enhance the final days of a patient diagnosed with a terminal illness who has less than six months to live. Hospice services are usually offered in the patient's own home. IL (Independent Living) | Community living for people who are able to get around on their own and need no medical care or help with daily activities. Many people choose an Independent Living community when they want to maintain their independence and escape the maintenance requirements of typical home ownership. JCAHO (Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, also known as The Joint Commission) | An independent, not-for-profit organization that evaluates and accredits more than 15,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. The Joint Commission is the nation's predominant standards-setting and accrediting body in health care. The healthcare and rehabilitation campuses that are part of the Providence Life Services family have all been accredited by The Joint Commission. LOC (Level Of Care) | An indication of the type of services or medical care needed by a potential resident, or the type of care offered by a facility. Typical LOCs include independent (retirement) living, sheltered care, intermediate care, and skilled care. Long-term care | Care usually provided in a skilled nursing facility for people who need continuing assistance because of a physical or mental disability. LSN (Life Services Network) | The largest eldercare association in Illinois, LSN sponsors high-quality educational opportunities, and they lobby to support not-for-profit interests in Springfield. Providence Life Services is a member of LSN. Medicare / Medicaid | Two distinct government programs offering financial assistance with health care expenses. Medicare is a federal program available to everyone aged 65 and older, and to some younger people with disabilities. Medicaid is a state-administered program specifically for lower-income families. Palliative care | Any medical treatment that focuses on easing symptoms rather than curing the causative disease. Palliative care may be combined with curative care, or, as in the case of Hospice, it may replace curative care. Private Duty | A type of care that is typically non-medical in nature, designed to help people with activities of daily living, such as preparing meals, doing laundry, or running errands. Private Duty services can be performed in a person's home or in a care facility. Respite care | Short-term care given by another caregiver, for the purpose of giving the usual caregiver a rest. Many retirement communities and Assisted Living communities offer Respite Care, allowing people to stay for a set length of time, experiencing both the care and the social interaction offered by the community. It is common for people who are considering moving into a retirement community to take advantage of a Respite Stay to decide whether or not they like the community enough to live there. SNF (Skilled Nursing Facility) | An establishment that provides nursing care, rehabilitation, and other medical services to people who are chronically ill or elderly patients. Also called long-term care facility, nursing home.
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