Terminology

Acute

Sudden, sharp, short-term

Alzheimer's Disease

Type of dementia due to changes in the brain

Ambulatory

Able to walk without assistance

Aphsia

Inability to express oneself properly through speech and/or loss of verbal comprehension

Artery

Large blood vessel carrying blood away from the heart and to the tissues

Arthritis

Inflammation of the joints and tissues

Attitudes

Feelings and opinions one has or shows toward situations or other people

Confidentiality

Not sharing spoken and/or written words about a resident

Cognition

The ability to think, reason, make and remember decisions (memory)

Coma

An abnormal deep stupor-sleeplike state, cannot be awakened

Constipation

Infrequent or difficult bowel movements

CVA

Cerebral Vascular Accident or stroke

Cyanosis

Slightly bluish grayish discoloration of the skin due to lack of oxygen

Decubitus Ulcer

An open place in the skin that comes from lying in one position too long also called pressure ulcer

Defecate

Bowel movement

Degeneration

Breakdown, deterioration

Delusion

False fixed belief

Dementia

Progressive deterioration of mental function

Diabetes

Condition in which the body is unable to utilize the glucose taken in a normal diet, there is an imbalance between insulin produced by the body

Dysphagia

Difficulty swallowing

Edema

Condition in which the body tissues contain an excessive amount of fluids

Ethics

Standards of behavior

Ethnicity

Special customs, language, food, national origin, heritage

Exploitation

Illegal use of vulnerable adult's property or personal items

Extremities

Arms and legs

Geriatrics

Study of the elderly

Hypertension

High blood pressure

Hypotension

Low blood pressure

Impaction

Tightly wedged hard stool or bowel

Incontinence

Inability to control urine or stool

Involuntary

Uncontrollable

Myocardial Infarction

MI/Heart attack

Neglect

Failure to provide goods and services necessary to avoid physical harm mental anguish or mental illness

Paraplegia

Paralysis of lower half of the body (waist down)

Pathogen

Disease causing microorganism (germ)

Physical

Relates to the body

Prosthesis

Artificial or man-made body part or organ

Pulse

Rhythmical throbbing of artery showing how fast heart is beating

Reality Orientation

Assisting residents to be aware of time, place, and person

Regress

Returning to an earlier development period

Respiration

The act of breathing

Standard Precautions

Practices that reduce risk of disease transmission

Sedated

Calmed by the effects of sedating medications

Shearing

Force of the skin over the bone when the bone moves but the skin stays at point of contact

Shock

Depression of body functions, principally the circulatory and respiratory systems

Temperature

Measurement of body heat

Vein

Small blood vessel carrying blood to the heart to be re-oxygenated

A or Ax

Axillary (armpit temp)

AROM

Active range of motion

a.c.

Before meals

ADL

Activities of daily living

ad lib

At liberity or desired

AEB

As evidenced by

A.M.

Midnight to noon

B&B

Bowel and bladder program

b.i.d.

twice a day

BKA

below knee amputation

BM

bowel movement

BP

blood pressure

BRP

bathroom privileges

c

with

c.c.

cubic centimeter

C/O

complains of

CMS

Color, circulation, motion, sensitivity

CVA

stroke

DAT

diet as tolerated

DNR

do not resuscitate

h./hr

hour

H2O

water

HOB

head of bed

HOH

hard of hearing

h.s.

bedtime/hour of sleep

Ht

height

I&O

intake and output

MI

myocardial infarction (heart attack)

Na

sodium

NKA

no known allergies

NPO

nothing by mouth

PO

oral

O2

oxygen

OT

occupational therapy

OZ

Ounce = 30 cc

p.c.

after meals

Peri

perineal

P.M.

Noon to midnight

PT

physical therapy

p.r.n.

as needed

PROM

passive range of motion

Px

physical examination

q

every

q.d.

everyday

q.h.

every hour

q.4.h.

every 4 hours

q.i.d.

four times a day

R

rectal

Rt

right

SBA

stand by assist

Sx

symptoms

w/o, s

without

SOB

shortness of breath