GlossaryFAQSite Map Advanced Search Find A Nursing HomeContact UsVolunteering Glossary Home » Glossary    A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P - Q - R - S - T - U - V - W - X - Y - Z A Advanced macular degeneration (AMD) AMD is a common source of vision loss among people older than age 60. Although AMD rarely results in blindness, people with AMD have difficulty driving, reading and performing other tasks because their vision becomes blurred. Back to Top Alzheimer’s care A person with Alzheimer’s disease needs special care. This plan includes special nurses and staff who are knowledgeable about the disease, security measures that promote independence and freedom and prevent wandering, support and guidance for the family, and a friendly atmosphere to reduce confusion and frustration for the patient. Back to Top Arrhythmia The heart beats when an electrical signal travels from the sinoatrial node—the heart’s natural pacemaker—to the heart. Arrhythmia, or irregular heartbeat, results when these electrical impulses are disrupted. Arrhythmia can be a minor problem, such as a short pause or premature heart beat that has no affect on a person’s overall heart rate. However, an arrhythmia that lasts for a long time can cause the heart to beat too slowly or too quickly. A normal heart beats 60 to 100 times per minute. Tachycardia occurs when the heart beats more than 100 times per minute, and bradycardia means the heart rate is less than 60 beats per minute. Back to Top B Bedsore A pressure ulcer (also known as a bedsore or pressure sore) occurs when constant pressure prevents oxygen and other nutrients from reaching tissue under the skin. Elderly people, who are less active and are more likely to have fragile skin and poor circulation, are at high risk for pressure ulcers. Back to Top C Cardiac care Cardiac care can help someone recovering from a heart attack or bypass surgery or experiencing abnormal heart rhythms or high cholesterol. Specialized cardiac care can reduce the risk of subsequent heart attacks and death from other causes. Back to Top Cataracts Cataracts are cloudy areas in the eye’s lens, which is normally transparent. As this cloudiness thickens, it blocks light rays from passing through the lens and focusing on the retina, the light-sensitive tissue lining the back of the eye. In the earliest stages, cataracts may not significantly disturb vision, but as the lens continues to change, symptoms as appear. A doctor can remove cataracts in a routine procedure. Back to Top D Dehydration Fluids are especially important for older people because they help medicines work properly, keep skin moist, and prevent constipation. A person becomes dehydrated when the body loses water faster than it is replenished. The body tends to retain less water and lose some of its ability to regulate water balance as it ages, making the elderly more susceptible to dehydration. Back to Top Diabetic care Diabetic care helps those with diabetes learn how to manage the disease and keep control of their lives. Back to Top Dialysis Support Dialysis is a means of filtering a person’s blood when the kidneys are not able to. Back to Top G Glaucoma Glaucoma is a disease that causes fluid to accumulate in the eye, increasing the pressure inside. Glaucoma can be treated in a variety of ways, and early treatment can keep the pressure in the eye under control to help reduce vision loss. Eventually, glaucoma can damage the eye’s optic nerve, which carries information from the eye to the brain, resulting in blindness. Back to Top H Heart murmur Heart murmurs are quite common in the elderly. As the body ages, muscle cells in the heart gradually degenerate and the valves, which control the pattern of blood flow, gradually thicken. Erratic blood flow patterns cause vibrations, heard as roaring or rasping sounds called heart murmurs. A person with a heart murmur may not necessarily have heart disease, and heart disease does not necessarily cause a heart murmur.  Back to Top High blood pressure Many factors can help cause high blood pressure, including narrowing of the arteries, a high volume of blood or an irregular heart rhythm. High blood pressure makes the heart work harder to pump blood through the body. An overworked heart and arteries are more susceptible to disease, and people with high blood pressure have an increased risk for heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure, eye damage and congestive heart failure. There is no cure for high blood pressure, but the patient can control it with proper medication, a healthy diet, and moderate exercise. Back to Top Hospice care Hospice is a program designed to give supportive care and services in the final phase of a terminal illness. Hospice focuses on comfort and quality of life rather than cure, and provides emotional, spiritual and bereavement support to the terminally ill patient and their family. Back to Top I Infusion (IV) therapy IV therapy is an intravenous means of administering drugs or nutrients that cannot be taken by mouth. Back to Top L Long-term care insurance Another way to help defray nursing home expenses is to purchase private long-term care insurance. Private long-term care insurance includes retiree and government-funded insurance, such as Medigap. Other types of insurance help pay for 24-hour care. The benefits and costs of these plans vary. Back to Top Low heart rate (bradycardia) A low heart rate, also known as bradycardia, is a form of arrhythmia. A person with a low heart rate may experience fatigue, dizziness, lightheadedness, and/or fainting or near-fainting spells. Back to Top M Medicaid If the patient or resident cannot afford any other financial option, he or she may be able to apply for Medicaid to pay for nursing home care. Eligibility requirements vary from state to state, but this is an option for eligible low-income patients. Back to Top Medicare This federal insurance program may cover some nursing home expenses for skilled nursing care or rehabilitation services. To obtain these funds, the patient must have a Medicare card and must receive services from a Medicare-certified nursing home after a hospital stay of three or more days. Back to Top O Occupational therapy Occupational therapy can help people who are disabled to re-learn essential life functions like eating, bathing and dressing, as well as ordinary activities such as cooking, doing laundry and playing games. Back to Top P Pain management Pain management is the process of providing medical care that alleviates or reduces pain. This is extremely important in healthcare because patients who are in severe pain often become agitated or depressed and have poorer treatment outcomes. Back to Top Physical therapy Physical therapy can restore muscle strength and improve coordination, and can even help control or alleviate acute and chronic pain. Back to Top Plan of care The healthcare team will develop a personalized care plan that fits the resident’s specific needs. This may include rehabilitative care, medical care, social support, dietary planning, personal care and Alzheimer’s care. Back to Top Presbycusis Presbycusis is the most common hearing problem in older people. It erodes their ability to distinguish the higher-pitch sounds common in everyday speech. In most cases, it’s caused by age-related changes in the inner ear, but the disease also can result from changes in the middle ear or from complex changes along the nerve pathways leading to the brain. Presbycusis most often occurs in both ears, causing gradual hearing loss, and many people who have presbycusis may not realize that their hearing is declining. Back to Top Pressure ulcer A pressure ulcer (also known as a bedsore or pressure sore) occurs when constant pressure prevents oxygen and other nutrients from reaching tissue under the skin. Elderly people, who are less active and are more likely to have fragile skin and poor circulation, are at high risk for pressure ulcers. Back to Top R Resident centered care Resident centered care is an innovative quality-of-life approach to caregiving—combining the best of the clinical model of skilled nursing care with a flexible, innovative social model that allows residents to enjoy more independence, privacy and choices. Back to Top Respiratory services These are services that help those with breathing impairments to control or lessen their symptoms or complications. Services include tracheostomy care, ventilator support and respiratory therapy. Back to Top Respiratory therapy With the help of breathing aids, such as a ventilator, people control or reduce symptoms or complications that affect the lungs. Back to Top Respite care Respite is a short-term arrangement that affords a caregiver some time off to refresh and relax. Back to Top S Speech therapy Speech therapists can help people with certain health problems, such as a stroke, to re-train the muscles in the mouth and throat so they can speak and eat properly. Back to Top Stroke (CVA) Cerebrovascular accident (CVA), or stroke, is the sudden death of brain cells due to a lack of oxygen when the blood flow to the brain is impaired. Back to Top T Tinnitus Tinnitus is commonly known as a ringing, roaring or other sound in a person’s ears, and it is more common among older people. Tinnitus may be constant, intermittent and/or may stop altogether. Back to Top U Unintended weight loss Over half of all nursing home residents experience unintended weight loss, which could result from a serious illness, a decline in memory or a behavioral issue. The following risk factors can increase the likelihood of unplanned weight loss—serious medical problems, decrease in appetite, decrease in mobility, depression, feeling of abandonment, history of weight loss, fever and pressure ulcers. Back to Top W Wound management Wound management uses state-of-the-art expertise in the care and treatment of skin conditions, especially wounds of the elderly that can be especially painful and slow to heal. Back to Top Code of Conduct  |  Legal   Equal Opportunity Employer and Provider of Healthcare Services