Long-Term Care and Nursing Assistant Duties

Long-Term Care (LTC)

Given in long-term care facilities for people needing 24-hour skilled care.

Skilled Care

Medically necessary care by skilled nurses or therapists, available 24/7.

Length of Stay

Number of days a person stays in a care facility, can be short or longer than six months.

Terminal Illness

Illness that will eventually cause death.

Diagnoses

Medical conditions determined by a doctor.

Home Health Care

Provided in a person's home.

Assisted Living Facilities

Residences for people needing help with daily tasks, not requiring 24-hour skilled care.

Adult Day Services

For people needing help and supervision during certain hours, not residing in the care facility.

Acute Care

24-hour skilled care in hospitals for short-term immediate care.

Subacute Care

Care in hospitals or long-term care facilities for those needing less care than acute illness.

Outpatient Care

Given to people needing short-term skilled care without overnight stay.

Rehabilitation

Care by specialists to restore function after an illness or injury.

Hospice Care

Given in facilities or homes for those with about six months or less to live.

Personal Care

Includes daily tasks like bathing, skin care, and assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs).

Person-Centered Care

Emphasizes individuality and capabilities of the person needing care.

Trauma-Informed Care

Approach recognizing patients may have experienced trauma.

Medicare

Federal health insurance program for people aged 65 or older.

Medicaid

Medical assistance program for low-income individuals and people with disabilities.

Nursing Assistant (NA)

Performs nursing tasks, personal care, and promotes independence.

Charting

Noting and recording important resident information.

Assistive or Adaptive Devices

Aids like hearing aids, braille, and magnifiers.

Chain of Command

Describes the line of authority to ensure proper health care and protect from liability.

Liability

Legal responsibility for harming someone else.

Scope of Practice

Defines tasks healthcare providers are legally allowed to do.

Care Plan

Individualized plan to achieve care goals for each resident.

Policy

Course of action to be taken in specific situations.

Procedure

Method of doing something.

Professionalism

Behaving properly in the workplace.

Personal

Refers to life outside of work.

Compassionate

Being caring, concerned, and empathetic.

Empathy

Identifying with the feelings of others.

Sympathy

Sharing in the feelings and difficulties of others.

Honest

Telling the truth and being trustworthy.

Tactful

Showing sensitivity and appropriateness in interactions.

Conscientious

Guided by a sense of right and wrong, striving to do their best.

Dependable

Able to make and keep commitments.

Patient

Not easily losing temper.

Respectful

Valuing other people's individuality.

Unprejudiced

Working with people from diverse backgrounds without bias.

Tolerant

Respecting others' beliefs and practices without judgment.

Ethics

Knowledge of right and wrong, with a sense of duty toward others.

Laws

Government-set rules for peaceful coexistence, order, and safety.

Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (OBRA)

Passed in 1987 to set standards for nursing assistant training and care in response to poor care reports.

Nurse Aide Training and Competency Evaluation Program (NATCEP)

Sets minimum training standards for NAs, including 75 hours of training and competency evaluation.

In-service education

Mandatory training for NAs to update skills (12 hours/year)

Cite

Identify a problem through a survey

Residents' Rights

Specify how residents should be treated in a facility

Quality of life

Residents' entitlement to best care, dignity, choice, and independence

Care plan

Developed by healthcare professionals for residents' health maintenance

Baseline care plan

Instructions for person-centered care within 48 hours of admission

Informed consent

Process of making informed healthcare decisions with a doctor's help

Independent choices

Residents' freedom to choose doctors, care, treatments, and personal decisions

Dignity, respect, freedom

Residents' right to be respected, treated with dignity, and have freedom

Security of possessions

Ensuring residents' personal possessions are safe and protected

Privacy and confidentiality

Residents' right to private conversations and confidentiality in care

Rights during transfers

Residents' rights to consent to location changes and stay in a facility

Complaints

Residents' right to voice grievances without fear and prompt resolution

Visitation rights

Residents' right to unrestricted visits from various individuals

Social services

Facility's provision of counseling, problem-solving, and legal/financial assistance

Abuse

Purposeful mistreatment causing physical, mental, or emotional harm

Physical abuse

Intentional or unintentional harm to a person's body

Psychological abuse

Emotional harm through threats, intimidation, or humiliation

Verbal abuse

Threatening, embarrassing, or insulting a person through words or gestures

Sexual abuse

Forcing a person into unwanted sexual acts or exposure

Financial abuse

Improper or illegal use of a person's money, possessions, or property

Assault

Threatening harm to a person causing fear of harm

Battery

Intentional touching without consent, considered physical abuse

Domestic violence

Abuse by spouses, intimate partners, or family members

False imprisonment

Unlawful restraint affecting freedom of movement

Involuntary seclusion

Separation from others against one's will

Workplace violence

Abuse of staff by staff, residents, or visitors

Sexual harassment

Unwelcome sexual advance or behavior creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment.

Neglect

Failure to provide needed care resulting in harm, categorized as active neglect (purposeful) or passive neglect (unintentional).

Negligence

Actions or failure to act resulting in unintended injury, such as forgetting to lock a resident's wheelchair.

Malpractice

Injury due to professional misconduct through negligence, carelessness, or lack of skill.

Substance abuse

Repeated use of legal or illegal drugs, cigarettes, or alcohol in a way that harms oneself or others.

Ombudsman

Legal advocate for residents in long-term care facilities.

Confidentiality

Keeping private information private.

HIPAA

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act passed in 1996 to keep health information private and secure.

Protected health information (PHI)

Information identifying a person and relating to their health condition, care history, and payments.

Minimum Data Set (MDS)

Detailed form for assessing residents in long-term care facilities.

Incident

Accident, problem, or unexpected event during care that is not part of the normal routine.

Communication

Process of exchanging information, including verbal (spoken or written) and nonverbal (without words) forms.

Incontinence

Inability to control bladder or bowels.

Defense mechanisms

Unconscious behaviors to release tension or cope with stress.

Body mechanics

How body parts work together during movement.

Base of support

Foundation supporting an object.

Scalds

Burns caused by hot liquids.

Abrasion

Injury rubbing off the skin surface.

OSHA

Occupational Safety and Health Administration, making rules to protect workers from job hazards.

Consciousness

Being mentally alert and aware of surroundings, sensations, and thoughts.

First aid

Emergency care given immediately to an injured person.

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)

Medical procedures for when a person's heart or lungs stop working.

Center of gravity

Point where the most weight is concentrated.

Fracture

Broken bone.

Obstructed Airway

Blockage in the tube through which air enters the lungs.

Abdominal thrusts

Method to remove an object from the airway of a choking person.

Cyanotic

Blue-tinged skin.

Shock

Occurs when organs and tissues do not receive adequate blood supply.

Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)

Warning sign of a stroke.