Assisted living terms, explained in plain words
Families hear a lot of new words in a short time. This page explains each one once, the way we use it everywhere on this site.
- Assisted living
A place where older adults live in their own apartment or room and get help with everyday tasks such as bathing, dressing and medicines. Meals, cleaning and activities are usually included. It is not 24-hour nursing care. Each state licenses it and sets its own rules.
- Memory care
Assisted living for people with dementia. It is often a separate floor or building with locked doors, staff with extra training and a set daily routine.
- Nursing home (skilled nursing facility)
A licensed facility with nurses on duty around the clock. After a hospital stay, Medicare may pay for a short stay there for rehab. It generally does not pay for a long stay.
- Independent living
Apartments for older adults who can live on their own. Meals or transportation may be offered, but nobody helps with personal care.
- Activities of daily living (ADLs)
The basic things we do to take care of ourselves: bathing, dressing, eating, using the toilet, getting in and out of bed, and staying continent. Communities and insurers count how many of these someone needs help with.
- Care assessment
A check, usually by the community's nurse, of how much help your parent needs. It happens before move-in and decides the level of care, which often decides the price.
- Level of care
How much help a community gives a resident. Many communities have levels or points, and each higher level costs more each month.
- Residency agreement
The contract with the community. It lists the services, the fees, how and when the rent can go up, the notice period and the reasons a resident can be asked to leave. Read it before you sign.
- Community fee
A one-time fee many communities charge when someone moves in. Ask whether any of it comes back if the move ends early.
- Discharge planner
The person at the hospital, often a nurse or social worker, who arranges what happens after your parent leaves the hospital.
- Long-term care ombudsman
A free advocate for people who live in nursing homes and assisted living. Every state has this program. The ombudsman works for the resident and helps with complaints and rights.
- Power of attorney
A legal document in which your parent names someone to handle money matters, or health decisions in a separate health care version, if your parent can't. An attorney drafts it, and the rules differ by state.
- HIPAA authorization
A form your parent signs so doctors and hospitals may talk with named family members about his or her health.
- Medicaid waiver
A state Medicaid program that can pay for some care services in assisted living for people who qualify. It usually doesn't pay rent or meals, and many states have waiting lists.
- VA Aid and Attendance
An extra monthly amount on top of a VA pension for veterans or surviving spouses who qualify and need help with daily activities.
- Senior move manager
A professional who helps older adults sort, downsize, pack and move.
- Respite stay
A short stay in an assisted living community, for example to recover after the hospital or to try a community before moving in.
- Move-in day
In our plan: the day your parent moves into the new apartment. It is Day 60 of the plan, and every other date is counted from it.
- Day 1
In our plan: the first day of work on the move. In the 60-day version it is 59 days before move-in day. Shorter versions start later and move faster in the early weeks.
- Yellow and red rows
In our plan: a yellow row is due this week. A red row is overdue. Everything else can wait.
Rules and names differ from state to state. For a decision about money, benefits or legal documents, ask an elder law attorney, a benefits counselor or your parent's doctor.
Sources
- National Institute on Aging: Long-term care facilities: assisted living, nursing homes, and other residential care
- Medicare.gov: Skilled nursing facility (SNF) care
- Medicare.gov: Long-term care
- National Long-Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center: About the ombudsman program
- HHS: HIPAA and family members and friends
- Medicaid.gov: Home and community-based services 1915(c)
- VA.gov: VA Aid and Attendance benefits and Housebound allowance
- CFPB: Managing someone else's money
- NASMM: Frequently asked questions