Chapter 1 Key terms Flashcards
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
diagnoses
: 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 24-hour skilled care, but do require some
help with daily care.
adult day services
: care for people who need some help 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 and 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 treatments, 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 people who have approximately six months or
less to live.
activities of daily living (ADLs)
daily personal care tasks such as bathing; dressing; caring for
skin, nails, hair, and teeth; eating; drinking; walking; transferring; and elimination.
trauma-informed care
an approach to patient care that recognizes that people may have
experienced trauma in their lives and that their trauma, experiences, and preferences should be
considered while providing care.
person-centered care
a type of care that places the emphasis on the person needing care and his
or her individuality and capabilities.
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.
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.
Medicaid
: a medical assistance program for people who have a low income, as well as for people
with disabilities.
charting
documenting information and observations about residents
assistive devices
: special equipment that helps a person who is ill or disabled to perform
activities of daily living.
care plan
a plan developed for each resident to achieve certain goals; it outlines the steps and
tasks that the care team must perform.
chain of command
: the line of authority within a facility.
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
the knowledge of right and wrong.
laws
rules set by the government to help people live peacefully together and to ensure 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 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.
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 a person’s freedom of
movement; includes both the threat of being physically restrained and actually being physically
restrained.
involuntary 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 substance 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 helps 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 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 healthcare facility.
