CNA

Activities of Daily living

daily personal activities such as bathing, dressing, toileting, eating, and mobility that are essential for personal care.

acute care

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

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.

assisted living

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

catheter

a thin tube inserted into the body to drain fluids or inject fluids.

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

a federal agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that is responsible for Medicare and Medicaid, among many other responsibilities.

chronic illness

a disease or condition that is long-term or long-lasting and requires management of symptoms.

cite

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

culture change

a term given to the process of transforming services for elders so that they are based on the values and practices of the person receiving care; core values include choice, dignity, respect, self-determination, and purposeful living.

dementia

a general term that refers to a serious, progressive loss of mental abilities such as thinking, remembering, reasoning, and communicating.

diagnosis

medical conditions determined by a doctor.

facilities

in medicine, places where health care is delivered or administered, including hospitals, long-term care facilities, and treatment centers.

health maintenance organization

a form of health insurance in which the cost of care is covered only when a person uses a particular doctor or group of doctors except in case of emergency; seeing specialists generally requires referrals from the primary doctor.

home health care

care that is provided in a person’s home.

hospice care

holistic, compassionate care given to people who have approximately six months or less to live.

joint commission

an independent, not-for-profit organization that evaluates and accredits healthcare organizations.

length of stay

the number of days a person stays in a healthcare facility.

long-term care (LTC)

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

managed care

a system or strategy of managing health care in a way that controls costs.

Medicaid

a medical assistance program for people who have a low income, as well as for people with disabilities. 

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.

outpatient care

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

payers

people or organizations paying for healthcare services.

person-centered care

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

policy

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

preferred provider organization (PPO)

a form of health insurance in which patients are encouraged to receive care from a network of approved providers but can see other providers at an additional cost; patients can usually choose their providers, including specialists, without being referred by another doctor.

procedure

a method or way of doing something.

providers

people or organizations that provide health care, including doctors, nurses, clinics, and agencies.

rehabilitation

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

skilled care

medically necessary care given by a skilled nurse or therapist.

subacute care

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

terminal illness

a disease or condition that will eventually cause death.

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.

assistive devices

special equipment that helps a person who is ill or disabled to perform activities of daily living.

chain of command

the line of authority within a facility or agency.

charting

documenting information and observations about residents.

compassionate

being caring, concerned, considerate, empathetic, and understanding. 

conscientious

guided by a sense of right and wrong; principled.

delegation

transferring responsibility to a person for a specific task.

empathy

identifying with the feelings of others.

liability

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

personal

relating to life outside one’s job, such as family, friends, and home life.

professional

having to do with work or a job.

professionalism

the act of behaving properly when working.

scope of practice

defines the tasks that healthcare providers are legally allowed to do as permitted by state or federal law.

sympathy

sharing in the feelings and difficulties of others.

tactful

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

abuse

purposeful mistreatment that causes physical, mental, or emotional pain or injury to a person. 

advance directives

legal documents that allow people to decide what medical care they wish to have in the event they are unable to make those decisions themselves.

assault

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

battery

the intentional touching of a person without their consent. 

confidentiality

the legal and ethical principle of keeping information private.

domestic violence

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

do not hospitalize (DNH)

a medical order that states that a person should not be sent to a hospital for treatment; treatment, however, is continued where the person is residing.

do not intubate (DNI)

a medical order that tells medical professionals not to place a breathing tube in a person.

do not resuscitate (DNR)

a medical order that instructs medical professionals not to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in the event of cardiac or respiratory arrest.

durable power of attorney for health care

a signed, dated, and witnessed legal document that appoints someone else to make the medical decisions for a person in the event they become unable to do so.

ethics

the knowledge of right and wrong.

false imprisonment

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

financial abuse

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

informed consent

the process in which a person, with the help of a doctor, makes informed decisions about their health care.

involuntary seclusion

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

laws

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

living will

a document that outlines the medical care a person wants, or does not want, in case the person becomes unable to make those decisions.

malpractice

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

mandated reporters

people who are legally required to report suspected or observed abuse or neglect because they have regular contact with vulnerable populations, such as the elderly in care facilities.

minimum data set (MDS)

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

neglect

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

negligence

actions, or the failure to act or provide the proper care for a person, that result in unintended injury.

ombudsman

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

omnibus budget reconciliation act (OBRA)

a 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.

physical abuse

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

Physician orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST)

a medical order that specifies the treatments a person wishes to receive, not what he wishes to avoid, when he is very ill; decisions are based on conversations between the patient and his healthcare providers.

Psychological abuse

emotional harm caused by threatening, scaring, humiliating, intimidating, isolating, or insulting a person, or treating him as a child.

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.

Sexual abuse

nonconsensual contact of any type.

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 substances in a way that is harmful to oneself or others.

verbal abuse

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

workplace violence

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

abdominal thrusts

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

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)

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

conscious

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

diabetic ketoacidosis

a complication of diabetes that is caused by having too little insulin in the body.

emesis

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

epilepsy

a brain disorder that results from a disruption in normal electrical impulses in the brain, which causes repeated seizures.

epistaxis

a nosebleed

first aid

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

insulin reaction or hypoglycemia

a complication of diabetes that can result from either too much insulin or too little food.

myocardial infarction (MI)

a condition that occurs when the heart muscle does not receive enough oxygen because blood flow to the heart is blocked; also called heart attack.

obstructed airway

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

orthostatic hypotension

a sudden drop in blood pressure that occurs when a person sits or stands up.

shock

a condition that occurs when organs and tissues in the body do not receive an adequate blood supply.

syncope

loss of consciousness; also called fainting.

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.

antimicrobial

an agent that destroys, resists, or prevents the development of pathogens.

blood borne pathogens

microorganisms found in human blood that can cause infection and disease in humans.

Bloodborne pathogens standard

federal law that requires that healthcare facilities protect employees from bloodborne health hazards.

causative agent

a pathogenic microorganism that causes disease.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

a federal government agency that issues guidelines to protect and improve the health of individuals and communities.