A nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization for people age 50 and over. The AARP provides information, benefits, services, and advocacy to its members.

Programs that provide opportunities for adults to be with others and participate in supervised activities.

An advance directive is the primary method used to communicate the course of a person's future medical treatment or non-treatment in the event the person becomes incompetent or incapacitated.

A slow, progressive disease of the brain, most common among the elderly. Symptoms grow worse over time and there is no known cure; treatment options are available.

Residential care that combines housing with support services and healthcare.

A legal action that frees someone of the responsibility of paying their debts (liquidation, or chapter 7) or provides protection so they can try to repay their debts (reorganization, or chapter 13).

Someone who provides practical, physical, spiritual, emotional, and/or, financial support for someone who is ill.

A persistent pain that does not go away or one that disappears for only short periods of time.

Having to do with thinking, such as speaking, memory, and learning, comprehension, remembering, reasoning, and judgment.

Residential living that offers options of independent living, assisted living, and nursing home assistance at the same site.

The act of forcefully breathing air into the mouth and lungs of someone whose breathing or heartbeat has stopped. CPR may also include the physical compression of the chest if just the air isn’t working.

A progressive brain dysfunction that may lead to an increased restriction of daily activities.

A type of insurance that compensates for 45 – 60% of one’s total wages should they become sick and/or injured and therefore unable to work.

The act of misleading the elderly for financial gain. Some examples of Elder Scams are the selling of faulty insurance, and stealing and re-selling medication. Elder Scam is a crime that is punishable by law.

A specific form of caregiving where the care recipient is an older person, one that is not necessarily sick or injured.

A person appointed to administer the terms of a last will and testament.

This law states that an employer must allow their employee 12 weeks of unpaid leave during a 12-month period:

• To care for an immediate family member (spouse, child, or parent) with a serious
• health condition;
• For the birth and care of the employee’s newborn child;
• For the placement with the employee of a son or daughter for adoption or foster care;
• To take medical leave when the employee is unable to work because of a serious health condition.

A caregiver who is related to the care recipient. They may be a family member or a close friend.

A nonprofit organization that offers programs at national, state and local levels to support and sustain caregivers.

An abbreviation for the term gastroesophageal reflux disease. This condition occurs when stomach acid backs up into the esophagus causing inflammation and serious damage to the tissue of the esophagus.

A doctor who specializes in treating the elderly.

A legal procedure that establishes a person as a guardian over someone determined unable to communicate safe or sound decisions, leaving them open to fraud. The Guardian is able to execute all decisions for the person under the Guardianship. This is usually a last approach since Guardianship affects the rights of the person under the Guardianship.

False perception. Patient sees, hears, smells, or feels things that aren't really there.

Services for seniors who are no longer able to perform such tasks as yard work, putting up storm windows, and minor home repairs.

Designed to help terminally ill patients live at home and express and accept their feelings regarding their medical condition. Hospice can also help families care for a loved one, manage practical tasks, and deal with stress.

A financial program whereby the insured pays a monthly premium to a life insurance company. If the insured dies, the insurance company pays an agreed-upon fee to those designated by the insured (usually family). Life Insurance is used to aid family and friends of the deceased in paying for end-of-life costs as well as any bills, mortgages, and loans. There are two kinds of life insurance – one that lasts for a designated period of time, like to the end of a mortgage (term life insurance) and the other that never expires (universal life insurance).

A legal document outlining what exactly someone does and does not want in terms of medical care if they are incapable of making their own decisions.

People with an ongoing need for assistance often need long-term care. This type of service supports activities of daily living such as eating, dressing, bathing, walking, toileting, and communicating. Long-term care is offered in various types of settings, from home care to nursing homes, and differs primarily on the level of care provided.

A type of insurance that pays benefits when long-term care is a necessity.

Also called mobile meals, a volunteer organization that provides meals for the homebound elderly, helping to ensure a nutritionally balanced intake of food.

Federally sponsored and state-administered program providing healthcare to those with low or no income.

Federal health insurance program for people over age 65 and persons with disabilities.

Also known as the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan, began enrollment on November 15^th, 2005. For a higher monthly premium, Medicare owners will receive a prescription discount that they can use on select drugs. For those who can’t afford the Part D of Medicare, there is an optional program called “Extra Help” that could alleviate some of the costs.

A non-profit coalition of national organizations focusing on the issues of family caregiving through research, policy awareness and public awareness. The members of this group include service and professional organizations, corporations, a government agency, grassroots groups, and disease-specific organizations.

Specialist in diseases and disorders of the nervous system.

An organization founded in 1993 that is committed to improving the overall quality of life of caregiving families and minimizing the disparities between family caregivers and non-caregivers.

Trains people to manage everyday tasks, helping to promote independent functioning at home.

An organization consisting of pharmaceutical companies, doctors, health care providers, patient advocacy organizations and community groups to help qualifying patients without prescription coverage get the medicines they need through various public programs for free or nearly-free-of-charge.

Increases range of movement and strengthens muscles.

Describes a situation in which a person takes many medications. In some cases, medications may interact with each other to cause severe side effects.

A legal document granting someone the right to make decisions (e.g., financial, legal, medical) for another.

Also known as bed sores, a form of skin damage. They can range from small, slightly reddened areas to severe deep wounds. They usually occur in areas where bony parts of the body press against other parts or from constant contact with a mattress or a chair.

Structured breaks that allow caregivers to take time off to relax and recuperate from the stress of caregiving.

A mental illness characterized by prominent and persistent disturbances in the way a person thinks, sees, and hears. Some common symptoms include false beliefs (delusions), hallucinations, incoherence, and bizarre ideas and behavior.

A Federal income supplement program funded by general (non-social security) tax revenues. It helps the aged, blind, and disabled who have little or no income and provides money to meet the basic needs for clothing, shelter and food.

A legal title to property held by one person for the benefit of another.

A medical specialist trained to administer medicines prescribed by a doctor to a patient in their home. A visiting nurse can also monitor a patient and help them in their day-to-day activities.

A legal document that instructs how an individual wants his or her estate to be divided after death. The document usually names a person in charge of overseeing the will, called the executor.