I must admit it. I am not good with all the acronyms. The world of senior care is full of them and I still have to look at my “cheat sheet” to recall what they are.

I can just imagine what someone without some history with these senior care acronyms must think when they are looking for care for their loved one. I’m sure there are a lot of senior care professionals that speak plain English to their potential clients but just in case you might want to know a few of these acronyms, I made a list of the senior care alphabet.

LTC – Long Term Care

You might hear this acronym if your loved one needs long term placement in a care facility. It’s also the acronym used in the insurance industry. If you are very fortunate, you employer or benefits provider might have this included in your benefits package.

ADL’s – Activities of Daily Living

The ADL’s are a way of assessing a senior to see how much and what kind of care they might need. It’s the things that most younger people take for granted like fixing meals, driving, taking care of your own personal hygiene, walking, house cleaning, etc.

NF or SNF – Skilled Nursing Facility

These facilities go beyond assisted living. Medical staff are always on hand to administer the care needed by a senior experiencing a long term illness.

ADS – Adult Day Services – also known as Adult Day Care

Many senior centers are now offering Adult Day Care so family members can continue to work. These are for fairly healthy seniors. Some specialize in caring for seniors with dementia but some offer day care for all. I volunteered at one while earning my degree in gerontology. The seniors seem to love it. Many types of activities are always on the calendar.

AL – Assisted Living

This is your normal retirement community. Some will offer both independent and memory care. Some are for those who can still do almost everything to take care of themselves. The services vary from one to another but staff can help with medications, meals are provided along with some housekeeping. Activities are planned for the residents and outings are also on the calendar.

CCRC – Continuing Care Retirement Community

These communities offer transitional housing and care. You might start your residency in a CCRC in a private home or apartment and then when you need more help there is an assisted living right within the community as well as a skilled nursing facility. These can be very expensive.

ISP – Individual Support Plan, PCP – Person Centered Plan, POC – Plan of Care

I put these all together because basically they are all the same thing. If your loved one moves to an assisted living or a nursing home, they will be evaluated for what care they will need in that particular facility. Some care plans are more tailored to each person than others.

CM – Case Manager, GCM – Geriatric Care Manager

Case Managers and Geriatric Care Managers are the people who interview you and your elder to find out about your needs. A Case Manager is usually just someone who works within a facility while a Geriatric Care Manager usually has a degree in gerontology. A Geriatric Care Manager often works for themselves and are hired privately by people who know they or their loved one needs more care. A GCM can also track down the best care providers and keep your budget in mind when recommending care providers.

Well that’s your gerontology lesson for today! Please let us know if there’s a subject you’d like covered in a post. Ask and you shall receive.