GLOSSARY OF TERMINOLOGY

 

To help people in our communities to understand some of the terminology used by professionals in the home health care industry, we have provided the following list of commonly used terms. The corresponding definitions as they appear are in their simplest forms and may not represent complete definitions.

 

Activities of Daily Living (ADL)

An individual’s daily habits are often used as an assessment tool to determine an individual’s ability to function at home or in a less restricted environment of care.  ADL’s can be referred to as Basic, Instrumental and/or Occupational Therapist evaluated as defined below.

 

Activities of Daily Living (Basic)

• Personal hygiene 
• Dressing and undressing 
• Eating 
• Transferring from bed to chair and back 
• Voluntarily controlling urinary and fecal discharge 
• Elimination 
• Moving around (as opposed to being bedridden) 

 

Activities of Daily Living (Instrumental)

Instrumental activities of daily living are not necessary for fundamental functioning, but they let an individual live independently in a community.

• Doing light housework 
• Preparing meals 
• Taking medications 
• Shopping for groceries or clothes 
• Using the telephone 
• Managing money 

 

Activities of Daily Living Evaluated by Occupational Therapist During Client Assessment

These include several areas of Instrumental ADL’s that are generally optional in nature, and can be delegated to others.

• Care of others (including selecting and supervising caregivers) 
• Care of pets 
• Child rearing 
• Use of communication devices 
• Community mobility 
• Financial management 
• Health management and maintenance 
• Meal preparation and cleanup 
• Safety procedures and emergency responses 
• Shopping

 

Acute Care
A pattern of health care in which a client is treated for an acute (immediate and severe) episode of illness, for the subsequent treatment of injuries related to an accident or other trauma, or during recovery from surgery.

 

Caregiver
One who provides daily care that enables an individual who is frail or has impaired mobility to live at home despite illness or disability.

 

Disease Management
Integrated treatment plans for clients with chronic or recurring conditions so that each encounter is not viewed as a distinct event but as part of an overall care process.

 

Home Health Care
Full range of medical and other health related services such as physical therapy, nursing, counseling and social services that are delivered in the home of a client by a provider.

 

Home Health and Personal Care Aides

These trained paraprofessionals provide services associated with the personal care of the client. When assistance with bathing, grooming, dressing, cooking and/or cleaning are needed, home care aide services can be indispensable.
 

Homemaker Services
In-home workers to do light housekeeping (including laundry and meal preparation), shopping and errands. Homemakers may also assist with self-administered medications and with personal care tasks such as grooming, bathing and dressing.

 

Hospice
Facility or program providing care for the terminally ill.

 

Infusion Therapy
The intravenous (IV) administration of medications and nutrition, including fluid replacements, chemotherapy and antibiotics.

 

Intermittent Health Care

Care occurring at intervals; alternating between periods of activity and inactivity, such as rheumatoid arthritis, which is marked by periods of signs and symptoms followed by periods of remission.

 

Intermediate Home Care

A level of care for non-acutely ill, disabled or elderly individuals.

 

Long-Term Care Insurance
Insurance designed to pay for some or all of the costs of long term care.

 

Medicaid
A joint Federal and State program that provides hospital expense and medical expense coverage to the low-income population and certain aged and disabled individuals.

 

Medicare
A Federal government program established under Title XVIII of the Social Security Act of 1965 to provide hospital expense and medical expense insurance to elderly and disabled persons.

 

Multidisciplinary Team

A group of individuals specializing in various areas of healthcare who join together to consult and treat or care for clients.

 

Nurses

A Registered Nurse (RN) and Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) provides direct skilled nursing services for the client, supervises other caregivers as required, and coordinates client care with the physician. Nurses also train family members and friends in functions that the family and friends can perform to assist the professional caregivers and maintain the client when professional services are no longer are necessary.

 

Occupational Therapist

A licensed health professional that is trained to evaluate clients with joint conditions, such as arthritis, to determine the impact the disease has on their activities of daily living. Occupational Therapists can design and prescribe assistive devices that can improve the quality of the activities of daily living for clients with arthritis and other conditions of the muscles and joints.

 

Older Americans Act
The Older Americans Act (OAA) of 1965 calls for a range of programs that offer services and opportunities for older Americans, especially those at risk of losing their independence. The Older Americans Act focuses on improving the lives of older people in areas of income, housing, health, employment, retirement and community services.

 

Palliative Care
An array of services that eases the transition from life to death. It includes management of pain and physical symptoms, but goes well beyond the physical. Palliative care also includes care and sympathy for emotional suffering, loss and bereavement. It helps the client and those who love and care for the client, deal with the ambiguities of serious illness.

 

Pastoral Care
Assists clients, families and friends as they call on the supportive dynamics of their spiritual beliefs and traditions to help in the healing process.

 

Physical Therapy

A branch of rehabilitative health that uses specially designed exercises and equipment to help clients regain or improve their physical abilities.  Physical Therapists work with many types of clients ranging from infants born with musculoskeletal birth defects, to adults suffering from sciatica or the after-effects of injury, to elderly post-stroke clients.

 

Physicians

The physician is a key element in home care, as the doctor will be the one to initiate the plan of treatment. The physician may refer a client returning home from a hospital or nursing home to a home health care agency. They may suggest that home care services could allow a client with increasing disability to remain at home. In many cases the physician will periodically review the delivery and effectiveness of those services, sometimes recommending changes.

 

Providers
Healthcare professional or facility or group of healthcare professionals or facilities that provide healthcare services to clients.

 

Respite Care
Short term, temporary care provided to people with illnesses or disabilities enables their families to take a break from the daily routine of care giving. Respite services may sometimes involve overnight care for an extended period of time. 

 

Social Workers

These licensed professionals assist the client and family in vital areas. This includes evaluation of the financial circumstances, ability to pay for necessary home care services, and directing them to local support systems. Social work in the home setting also involves making sure that the emotional needs of the client and their families are fulfilled.

Telehealth Monitoring

Telehealth Monitoring focuses on health promotion, disease prevention, diagnosis, consultation, education and / or therapy. By remotely monitoring a client’s condition, which may require regular measurements of health parameters, the health care professional may contribute to measurable and sustainable improvements in client safety, costs and overall quality of care. While Telehealth Monitoring will never replace the human touch, it assists in providing an additional form of excellent care for clients and support to their caregivers.

 

Therapists

Another important component of the home care team is the professional therapist. Physical, occupational, speech / language and respiratory therapists provide essential services according to the needs of the individual client. The therapist also plays a vital role in training nonprofessionals who may be available to assist the client with exercises and routine care that can allow the client to function in the home and recover more effectively.