Articles
Glossary
Speech Therapy Basics: What are Speech Language Pathologists & How Can They Help?
Speech therapy, also known as speech-language pathology, is the study of disorders that affect a person’s speech, language, cognition, voice or swallowing and the rehabilitation of these issues, which can... Read entire article »
What Is...Hospice and Hospice Care?
Hospice is a type of palliative care designed to support a patient through the last stages of a terminal illness, when the goal is no longer to cure the illness. At this point, regular medical treatment is no l... Read entire article »
What Is...Senior Care?
Senior care, often referred to as elder care or long-term care, covers a broad spectrum of services. Although it is commonly believed that elder care only serves those who require skilled nursing care, many cho... Read entire article »
What Is...Independent Living?
Independent living communities, also known as senior housing and senior communities, are dwellings restricted to seniors, usually age 55 and older or 62 and older. Facilities do not include support services or ... Read entire article »
What Is... Advanced Care Planning?
Advance care planning means making decisions about the care you would want to receive should you become unable to speak for yourself. These are your decisions to make and they are based on your personal values ... Read entire article »
What Is...Subacute Care?
Subacute care is a subset of skilled nursing care for patients who are recovering from a major surgery or illness. This type of care is usually provided in nursing homes, and sometimes in hospitals. Some facili... Read entire article »
What Is...Homecare?
Homecare (also known as in-home care) is professional care that an individual receives in the home. Homecare aides provide companionship and assistance with the activities of daily living (ADLs), such as eating... Read entire article »
What Is...Home Health Care?
Home health care encompasses skilled services such as nursing, and physical and occupational therapies, to be administered in your home. These services must be prescribed by a doctor. Home health care agencies ... Read entire article »
What Is...Caregiver Burnout?
The pressures of caregiving can lead to caregiver burnout, a critical point when a caregiver is no longer able to effectively take care of his or her loved one. Although caregiver burnout applies to all caregiv... Read entire article »
What Is...Assistive Technology?
Assistive technology refers to technological devices that help a person perform activities which he or she could not previously do independently, or could only do with difficulty. Assistive technology often pro... Read entire article »
What Is...Aging in Place?
Aging in place refers to the concept of seniors staying in their own homes rather than moving out when their health needs change. This same idea also applies to residents of long-term care facilities, as long a... Read entire article »
What Is...a Face Sheet?
A face sheet is a document that gives a patient’s information at a quick glance. Face sheets can include contact details, a brief medical history and the patient’s level of functioning, along with p... Read entire article »
What Is...a Care Plan?
A care plan is based on a needs assessment
that a professional administers to the person who requires care. A care plan details the individual’s needs and
lists ways to meet them. Care plans should be rea... Read entire article »
What Is...a Caregiver?
Do you stop by your mom’s place and drop off food or make her a few meals for the week? Do you balance your father’s checkbook because he’s been having trouble doing it himself? If you answere... Read entire article »
What Is...Durable Medical Equipment (DME)?
Durable medical equipment is paraphernalia used for medical purposes that is meant for repeated use. Examples include hospital beds, walkers, wheelchairs and oxygen tents. Medicare covers the costs of some dura... Read entire article »
What Is...Congregate Care?
Congregate care is similar to independent living. Residents of congregate care live independently, for the most part. This type of housing environment usually offers at least one communal meal per day, and it... Read entire article »
What Is... an Assisted Living Facility?
Assisted living facilities are residences for seniors who require some care or help with the activities of daily living ( ADLs or IADLs). Some assisted living facilities have nurses on staff; however, this is n... Read entire article »
What Is...a Residential Care Home?
Residential care is another term for assisted living
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What Is...a Nursing Home?
Nursing homes are also known as skilled nursing facilities (SNFs—pronounced “sniffs” ) and convalescent homes. Nursing homes are live-in facilities that provide medical treatment prescribed by... Read entire article »
What Is...a Lifecare Community?
Lifecare community is another term for continuing care retirement community (CCRC).
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What Is...a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC)?
CCRCs are living communities for seniors. Most have three levels of residence: independent living, assisted living and skilled nursing. Each level of residence is tied to the level of care that the resident req... Read entire article »
What Is...a Board and Care Home?
Board and care homes are residences for seniors who require some care or help with the activities of daily living (ADLs or IADLs). They are smaller-scale assisted living facilities, usually having a resident ca... Read entire article »
What Is...Respite Care?
Respite care is the temporary relief provided to a caregiver when someone else assumes his or her role as caregiver. Respite can last anywhere from a few hours to several weeks or even months. Respite care is p... Read entire article »
What Is...Paratransit?
Paratransit is a service that provides transport, usually in vans or buses, to seniors and the disabled. There are no fixed routes or schedules. Paratransit providers are operated by public agencies, community ... Read entire article »
What Is...Speech Therapy?
Speech therapy aids individuals who have speech impairments due to an illness or medical condition. Some people need speech therapy after a stroke.
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What Is...Physical Therapy?
Physical therapy helps individuals who have impaired movement as the result of an illness or medical condition. It often combines strength training of specific muscle groups, along with massage.
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What Is...Outpatient Therapy?
After illness or injury, some people choose to return home rather than stay or move into a facility. Some long-term care facilities provide outpatient therapy, which means that the patient is able to return hom... Read entire article »
What Is...Occupational Therapy?
Occupational therapy helps individuals who have undergone some form of disability to relearn the activities of daily living (ADLs). Occupational therapy areas are often set up like a home, with kitchens, bathro... Read entire article »
What Is...Palliative Care?
Palliative care reduces the amount of pain or suffering from a disease or illness. Often palliative care is administered when the actual disease course cannot be treated—or when treatment of disease(s) wi... Read entire article »
What Is...a Geriatric Care Manager?
One of the first things Gilbert Guide recommends to anyone searching for long-term care for themselves or a loved one is to obtain a professional care assessment through a case manager, or a geriatric care mana... Read entire article »
What Is...Guardianship or Conservatorship?
When a person is deemed incompetent in a court of law, their funds and property are then turned over to another person. This process is called guardianship—or in some states conservatorship. Guardianship ... Read entire article »
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