Hartman's Nursing Assistant Care: The Basics, 6th Edition

Long Term Care (LTC)

care given in long-term care facilities for people who need 24-hour, skilled care

Skilled Care

medically necessary care given by a skilled nurse or therapist

Length of Stay

the number of days a person stays in a healthcare facility

Terminal Illness

a disease or condition that will eventually cause death

Chronic

Long term or long lasting

diagnosis

medical conditions determined by a doctor

Home Health Care

health care that is provided in a person's home

assisted living

residences for people who do not need skilled, 24-hour care, but do require some help with daily care

Adult day services

care for people who need some assistance or supervision during certain hours, but who do not live in the facility where care is given

Acute care

24-hour skilled care given in hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers for people who require short-term, immediate care for illnesses or injuries

subacute care

care given in hospitals or in long-term care facilities for people who need less care than for an acute illness, but more care than for a chronic illness.

outpatient care

care given to people who have had treatment, procedures, or surgeries and need short term skilled care

Rehabilitation

care that is given by specialists to help restore or improve function after an illness or injury

Hospice care

holistic, compassionate care given to dying people and their families

activities of daily living (ADLs)

daily personal care tasks, such as bathing; caring for skin, nails, hair, and teeth; dressing; toileting; eating and drinking; walking; and transferring.

Person centered care

a type of care that places the emphasis on the person needing care and his or her individuality and capabilities

trauma informed care

an approach to patient care that recognizes that people may have experienced trauma in their lives so their trauma, experiences, and preferences should be considered while providing care.

Medicare

a federal health insurance program for people who are 65 or older, have certain disabilities, or permanent kidney failure, or are ill and cannot work

Charting

documenting important information and observations about residents

assistive devices

special equipment that helps a disabled or ill resident perform activities of daily living

Chain of command

the line of authority within a facility

Liability

a legal term that means someone can be held responsible for harming someone else

scope of practice

the range of tasks that healthcare providers are legally allowed to do according to state or federal law

Care plan

A plan developed for each resident to achieve certain goals; it outlines the steps and tasks that the care team must perform.

Policy

a course of action that should be taken every time a certain situation occurs

procedure

a method or way of doing something

professional

having to do with work or a job

personal

Relating to life outside one's job, such as family, friends, and home life.

Professionalism

the act of behaving properly when working

compassionate

being caring, concerned, considerate, empathetic, and understanding

empathy

identifying with the feelings of others

sympathy

sharing in the feelings and difficulties of others

Tactful

showing sensitivity and having a sense of what is appropriate when dealing with others

conscientious

guided by a sense of right and wrong; principled

Ethics

knowledge of right and wrong

laws

rules set by the government to help people live peacefully together and to ensure order and safety

Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (OBRA)

law passed by the federal government that includes minimum standards for nursing assistant training, staffing requirements, resident assessment instructions, and information on rights for residents

Cite

in a long-term care facility, to find a problem through a survey

Residents' Rights

numerous rights identified in the OBRA law that relate to how residents must be treated while living in a facility; they provide an ethical code of conduct for healthcare workers

informed consent

the process in which a person, with the help of a doctor, makes informed decisions about his or her health care

abuse

purposeful mistreatment that causes physical, mental, or emotional pain or injury to someone

physical abuse

any treatment, intentional or not, that causes harm to a person's body

psychological abuse

emotional harm caused by threatening, scaring, humiliating, intimidating, isolating, or insulting a person, or by treating him as a child; also includes verbal abuse

Verbal abuse

the use of spoken or written words, pictures, or gestures that threaten, embarrass, or insult a person

Sexual abuse

nonconsensual sexual contact of any type

Financial abuse

the improper or illegal use of a person's money, possessions, property, or other assets

assault

a threat to harm a person, resulting in the person feeling fearful that he or she will be harmed

battery

the intentional touching of a person without his or her consent

domestic violence

physical, sexual, or emotional abuse by spouses, intimate partners, or family members

False imprisonment

the unlawful restraint of someone that affects the person's freedom of movement; includes both the threat of being physically restrained and actually being physically restrained.

invouluntary seclusion

the separation of a person from others against the person's will

workplace violence

verbal, physical, or sexual abuse of staff by other staff members, residents, or visitors

sexual harassment

any unwelcome sexual advance or behavior that creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment

substance abuse

the repeated use of legal or illegal drugs, cigarettes, or alcohol in a way that is harmful to oneself or others

Neglect

the failure to provide needed care that results in physical, mental, or emotional harm to a person

Negligence

an action, or the failure to act or provide the proper care, that results in unintended injury to a person

malpractice

injury to a person due to professional misconduct through negligence, carelessness, or lack of skill

ombudsman

a legal advocate for residents in long-term care facilities who help resolve disputes and settle conflicts

Confidentiality

the legal and ethical principle of keeping information private

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

a federal law that requires health information to be kept private and secure and that organizations take special steps to protect this information

Protected Health Information (PHI)

a person's private health information, which includes name, address, telephone number, social security number, email address, and medical record number

Minimum Data Set (MDS)

a detailed form with guidelines for assessing residents in long-term care facilities

incident

an accident, problem, or unexpected event during the course of care that is not part of the normal routine in a health care facility

Communication

A process through which you send messages to and receive messages from others.

verbal communication

communication involving the use of spoken or written words or sounds

nonverbal communication

communication that does not use words

objective information

information based on what a person sees, hears, touches, or smells; also called signs

subjective information

information that a person cannot or did not observe, but is based on something reported to the person that may or may not be true; also called symptoms.

incontinence

inability to control bladder and/or bowels

cliches

phrases that are used over and over again and do not really mean anything

defense mechanisms

unconscious behaviors used to release tension or cope with stress

Culture

a system of learned beliefs and behaviors that is practiced by a group of people and is often passed on from one generation to the next

impairment

a loss of function or ability

mental health

the normal functioning of emotional and intellectual abilities

mental health disorder

a disorder that affects a person's ability to function and often causes inappropriate behavior; confusion, disorientation, agitation, and anxiety are common symptoms

combative

violent or hostile

body mechanics

the way the parts of the body work together when a person moves

posture

the way a person holds and positions the body

fracture

broken bone

disorientation

confusion about person, place, or time

Scalds

burns caused by hot liquids

Abrasion

an injury that rubs off the surface of the skin

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

a federal government agency that makes rules to protect workers from hazards on the job

conscious

the state of being mentally alert and having awareness of surroundings, sensations, and thoughts

First Aids

emergency care given immediately to an injured person by the first people to respond in an emergency

cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)

medical procedures used when a person's heart or lungs have stopped working

obstructed airway

a condition in which something is blocking the tube which air enters the lungs

abdominal thrust

a method of attempting to remove an object from the airway of someone who is choking

cyanotic

blue or gray, in reference to skin color

shock

ocurrs when organs and tissues in the body do not receive an adequate blood supply; signs include pale, gray, bluish discolored skin

syncope

loss of consciousness; also called fainting

insulin reaction aka hypoglycemia

Complication of diabetes that can result from either too much insulin or too little food; when insulin is given and the person skips a meal or does not eat all the food required

Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA)

a complication of diabetes that is caused by having too little insulin in the body, or eating too much; breath smells sweet or fruity

cerebrovascular accident (CVA)

a condition that occurs when blood supply to a part of the brain is blocked or a blood vessel leaks or ruptures within the brain; also called a stroke.

Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)

a warning sign of a CVA/stroke resulting from a temporary lack of oxygen in the brain; symptoms may last up to 24 hours

hemiplegia

paralysis of one side of the body

hemiparesis

numbness/weakness of one side of the body

expressive aphasia

slurred speech or inability to speak

receptive aphasia

difficulty understanding spoken or written words

emesis

the act of vomiting, or ejecting stomach contents through the mouth and/or nose