Aged Care Glossary
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ACAT - Aged Care Assessment Team
Accommodation bond - Money Left as a deposit with the Facility as security
Accreditation Status - If A home has the accreditation or not
Accreditation Audit - A site Audit (assessment) of the Quality of care provided
Accreditation Standards - The standards an aged care home must meet before receiving public funding
Advance health directive - A document which records your wishes and preferences for your comfort, dignity and treatment during critical and terminal illness
Advocacy - An independent service for receivers of Aged care
Age Care - Care Provided to elderly People who are unable to care for themselves any longer
Age pension - Centrelink Payment for elderly People without sufficient other income
Aged care Assessment Team - A team of Health Professional who assess older people to see what services they require
Ageing in Place - A Home that allows resident to move to differing levels of care
Allied Health Care - A range of services and therapies such as Physiotherapy Occupational Therapy etc
Alzheimer's Australia - The National body for people living with Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer disease - A degenerative illness affecting the brain, and the most common form of dementia
Arthritis Australia - The Peak body dealing with Arthritis in every state in Australia
Assets Assessment - An evaluation of assets to see if someone qualifies for assistance
Asthma Foundation - The association of all the local Asthma foundations providing advice and support to asthma sufferers
Australian Podiatry council - The national body for Australian podiatrists
Basic care fee - A contribution towards the cost of care provided
Basic daily care fee - A contribution towards the cost of day care
Beyond Blue - A national body for depression issues
Bowel Continence - A condition relation to the control of the bowel
Care Plan - A plan to assist the care offered
Carer - Family members of friends providing support to someone needing it
Carer Allowance - A centrelink income support for people without any other income in order to be a carer
Carer Payment - A centrelink payment for people who need income in order to be a carer
Carer support groups - Groups to provide support an assistance to carers
Carers Australia - The national body representing carers within Australia
Centrelink - A government agency providing payments to Australians in need
Chronic disease - Long term ongoing diseases usually incurable or age related e.g. Asthma diabetes mental illness etc
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease - A lung disease blocking the tubes in the lungs making it harder to breathe
Commonwealth Respite and Carelink Centers - Single point of contact to reach most service providers
Conditional adjustment payment - This provides aged care providers to give increased high care
Continence - Continence is the ability to exercise voluntary control over the bladder and/or bowel
Continence Aids Assistance Scheme (CAAS) - The Continence Aids Assistance Scheme (CAAS) provides assistance to people who have permanent and on-going incontinence due to a permanent condition.
Council on the ageing (COTA) - An Independent service representing the views of seniors to government bodies
Ct Scan - Computerized Tomography (CT) scan is a scan performed using an x-ray machine which is linked to a computer
Culturally appropriate care - Culturally appropriate care, as well as including the care available to all Australians, takes into account special needs arising from culturally and linguistically diverse background
Day Therapy Centers - Day Therapy Centers offer physiotherapy, occupational and speech therapy, podiatry and other therapy services to frail aged people who are living in the community or who are residents of Australian Government-funded aged care homes
Dementia - Dementia is the term used to describe the symptoms of a large group of illnesses, which cause a progressive decline in the ability to remember, to think, and to learn
Depression - A state of mind producing serious, long-term lowering of enjoyment of life or inability to visualize a happy future
Diabetes - A disease with affected blood insulin level
Diversional Therapist - The Diversional Therapist provides lifestyle programs that assist palliative care
Elder Abuse - The abuse physically or otherwise of an aged person
Elder Law - Laws relating to the rights of the aged population
End of Life care - End-of-life care or palliative care is care provided for people of all ages who have a life limiting illness, with little or no prospect of cure, and the primary aim is to achieve the best possible quality of life for the person and their family
Enduring power of attorney - An enduring power of attorney allows you to delegate the management of your affairs even if you're no longer able to understand the implications such as if you become mentally incapacitated
Extended Aged Care at Home - EACH - Extended Aged Care at Home (EACH) packages are individually planned and coordinated packages of care, tailored to help frail older Australians with high-level care needs to remain at home
Full pensioner - A full pensioner is a person who receives the maximum Australian Government means-tested pension.
Functional incontinence - Functional incontinence occurs when a person does not recognize the need to go to the toilet, or remember where the toilet is, or is unable to loosen clothing in time
Geriatrician - Doctor specialising in the illnesses and medical care of elderly people
Guardian - A guardian is a legally appointed substitute decision maker who, subject to the powers granted, may be able to make lifestyle decisions, such as where a person should live, consent to medical and dental services and health care generally
Gynecologist - A gynecologist is a doctor who specializes in preventing and treating illnesses of the female reproductive organs
Heart Foundation - The Heart Foundation's purpose is to improve the heart health of Australians and to reduce disability and death from heart, stroke and blood vessel disease
High-level care - High-level care is the care which is provided for people who have been assessed by an ACAT, and need almost complete assistance with most daily living activities. It includes accommodation services such as meals, laundry and room cleaning, as well as personal care.
Home modifications - changes or additions to a person's house or local environment that allow them to live more comfortably, safely, and securely at home for as long as possible
Hospice - hospice is a facility devoted to the care of people with a progressive life limiting illness, which is staffed by specifically trained professionals
Hostel care - Low Level care - accommodation with some assisted services
Incontinence - inability to control the bladder or bowel.
Independent advocate - independent advocate is a person from an advocacy service who has no relationship with the person they are supporting
Independent Living Centers - Independent Living Centers provide information and advisory services and have a display of continence products and other aids that assist with day-to-day living
Lifeline - Lifeline helps people and communities make healthy choices that affirm life, relieve distress and enhance wellbeing, by having counseling, training and information services easily available to all Australians
living will - A document which records your wishes and preferences for your comfort, dignity and treatment during critical and terminal illness
Low-level care - The care which is provided for people who have been assessed and need some, but limited accommodation facilities
Medicare Benefits Schedule - The Medicare Benefits Schedule provides information on the arrangements for the payment of Medicare benefits
Mild Cognitive Impairment - Significant memory loss without the loss of other cognitive functions
National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Aged Care Strategy - A body to improve access to, and quality of, culturally appropriate care for older people aged 50 years and over from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
National Asthma Council - National Asthma Council brings together all forms of Endeavour in the field of asthma and associated conditions in order to improve the quality of life and health outcomes of people with asthma and their carers
National Continence Helpline - a free telephone service which provides information, can refer you to local sources of help, as well as offering personal advice and counseling about bladder and bowel function problems
National Dementia Helpline - A phone line to provide information and support for people with dementia
Notice of Non-Compliance - A notice issued by the Department when a home has not complied with its responsibilities in providing required care and services
Nursing home - the previous name for aged care homes that provide high-level care, including accommodation services such as meals, laundry and room cleaning, and personal care
Occupational therapy - health profession which helps individuals gain, or regain, skills which are essential for that person's happy, safe and meaningful existence
Osteoarthritis - is a chronic breakdown of cartilage in the joints; the most common form of arthritis occurring usually after middle age
Palliative care - care provided for people of all ages who have a life limiting illness, with little or no prospect of cure
Palliative care equipment - Equipment that can be loaned to families and carers for people who wish to die at home
Parkinson's disease - a chronic, progressive disorder of the central nervous system which affects the control or direction of normal movement.
Part-pensioner - A part-pensioner is a person who receives less than the maximum Australian Government means-tested pension
Pensioner - A person receiving a pension from centrelink
Pensioner Concession Card (PCC) - A Card issued by Centrelink to all Social Security and Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) service pensioners or war widows receiving an income support supplement. Low income earners receiving selected payments may be entitled to a PCC
Physiotherapy - a health profession with recognized expertise in treating conditions or injuries that affect physical function, to help you gain as much movement and physical independence as possible
Podiatry - the profession that deals with conditions affecting the human foot
Power of attorney - a document that gives a person nominated by you the power to act on your behalf
Psychiatrist - medical practitioner who diagnoses and treats mental, emotional and behavioral disorders
Psycho geriatrician - medical practitioner who manages the treatment of psychological and psychiatric problems of older people
Reflex incontinence - Reflex incontinence is usually due to spinal cord or brain injury. It is a leak of urine and all the urine in the bladder is emptied out
Rent assistance - a Centrelink payment to help people with low income renting accommodation in the private rental market
Repatriation Health Card - Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) to veterans or dependants who are eligible for health treatment at DVA's expense
Residential aged care - for older people who can no longer live at home. Australian Government-subsidized places are provided in aged care homes that are owned and operated by organizations who have the approval of the Australian Government to care for their residents
Respite care - substitute care that can be arranged for planned breaks, regular weekly breaks, short holidays or for emergency situations such as family illness
Retention amounts - amounts of money that the aged care home may deduct each month from the accommodation bond, for a period of five year
Sanctions - penalties imposed by the Department of Health and Ageing on approved providers of aged care in cases of serious non-compliance with their legislated responsibilities
Self Funded Retiree - People who fund their own retirement and don't receive any Australian Government means-tested pensions
Sickness Allowance - Centrelink payment for people who are employed but are temporarily unable to work due to a medical condition.
Statutory Declaration - written statement declared to be true in the presence of an authorized witness
Stress incontinence - Stress incontinence is a small leak of urine associated with a physical activity such as coughing, laughing, physical exertion or getting up and bending over
Terminal diseases - A disease for which the patient will not survive
Transition care - Transition care provides short-term care that seeks to optimize the functioning and independence of older people after a hospital stay
Translating and Interpreting Service - Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) is available for both English and non-English speakers
Urge incontinence - Urge incontinence is a leak of urine associated with the feeling of needing to go to the toilet quickly
Vascular dementia - the second most common form of dementia after Alzheimer's disease. The condition is not a single disease but a group of syndromes relating to problems with the flow of blood to the brain
Veteran - A person returned from national duty
Veteran and war widow/widower pensioners - people who are eligible for and receive a pension from the Department of Veterans' Affairs
Veterans' Affairs Network - A body to promote independence and quality of life to the veteran community in their local environment and to facilitate access to DVA programs and services
Veterans' Home Care - Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) program that helps Australia's veterans, war widows and widowers with low care needs to remain in their own homes for longer
War widow/widower pensions - Pensions paid by Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) to widowed partners and dependants of veterans who have died as a result of war service or eligible defense service
