This glossary of care terms has been designed to help you navigate the world of care.
We hope that listing some of the most frequently used terminology during a service user’s care journey will help clarify things for you or your loved one.
It is by no means an exhaustive list, and it will continue to be updated and edited as necessary to keep up with the ever-changing landscape of care.
A
Abuse – Harm caused by anyone to another person, including family members, friends, unpaid carers and health or social care workers. It can often take various forms, including physical harm or neglect and verbal, emotional or sexual abuse. Adults at risk can also be the victim of financial abuse from people they trust.
Active listening – can help to improve communication between you and the person you’re caring for, especially if caring for service users with dementia. It includes using eye contact to look at the person, and encouraging them to look at you when either of you are talking.
Active participation – When you are included in decisions about your care and support and have a say in how you live your life and how you want to spend your time.
Activities of daily living – Things you do every day to look after yourself, such as eating, washing, dressing and using the toilet. An assessment of your needs will look at how well you can manage your daily activities and what help and support you need.
Adult at risk – An adult who requires extra support because of their age, disability, or physical or mental ill-health and who may be unable to protect themselves from harm, neglect or exploitation.
Adult social care – Care and support for adults who need extra help to manage their lives and be independent – including older people, people with a disability or long-term illness, people with mental health problems, and carers.
Advanced decision – A decision you make about what medical treatment you would or would not want in the future if you were unable to make decisions because of illness or because you lacked the capacity to consent. Unlike an advance statement, it is legally binding in England and Wales. If you are considering making an advance decision, you should discuss this with your family and your GP.
Advanced statement – A written document that lets people know your wishes, feelings, and preferences about your future care and support in case you cannot tell them. (This may be included in your support plan.) It can cover any aspect of your care, such as where you want to live and how you like to do things. You can write it yourself, with support from your family, friends, doctor and anyone else you wish. It isn’t a legal document, but it may help you get the care and support you want. It is different to an ‘advance decision’ about medical treatment, which is a decision you can make now about whether you want a particular type of treatment in the future.
Advocacy – Help to enable you to get the care and support you need independent of your local council. An advocate can help you express your needs and wishes, weigh up, and make decisions about the options available. They can help you find services, ensure correct procedures are followed, and challenge decisions made by councils or other organisations. The advocate represents your interests, which they can do by supporting you to speak or speaking on your behalf. They do not speak for the council or any other organisation. If you wish to speak up for yourself to make your needs and wishes heard, this is known as self-advocacy.
Aids & adaptations – Help to make things easier for you around the home. If you are struggling or disabled, you may need special equipment to enable you to live more comfortably and independently. You may also require changes to your home to make it easier and safer to get around. Aids and adaptations include grab rails, ramps, walk-in showers and stair-lifts.
Alzheimer’s – A progressive brain disorder that affects memory, thinking, and behaviour. It is the most common cause of dementia, a general term used to describe a decline in cognitive function that interferes with daily activities.
Assessment – The process of working out what your needs are. A community care assessment looks at how you manage everyday activities such as looking after yourself, household tasks and getting out and about. You are entitled to an assessment if you have social care needs and your views are central to this process.
Assistive & adaptive technology – Devices or equipment to help you do things if you have a disability. The term often refers to systems that help people communicate if they have problems with speaking. Equipment that allows you to carry out daily activities and manage more easily and safely in your home. Examples include electronic medicine dispensers, memory prompts, ‘big button’ telephones or remote controls, and pendant alarms for wearing around your neck or wrist. It also includes equipment that can detect potential hazards in your home, such as a fire or flood, or can alert a carer or emergency services in the event of a fall or seizure.
Attendance Allowance – A UK benefit for people over the age of 65 who have a physical or mental disability and need help with personal care or supervision due to their condition. It is a tax-free benefit paid to help with extra costs arising from a disability, such as paying for a carer or special equipment. The allowance amount is based on the level of care needed, and it is not means-tested, so it does not depend on income or savings.
Autonomy – Having control and choice over your life and the freedom to decide what happens to you. Even when you need a lot of care and support, you should still be able to make your own choices and be treated with dignity.
B
Barred list – An official list of people who are unsuitable to work or volunteer with children or with adults who may be at risk of harm or abuse because of their past record. If you employ someone regularly to provide personal care, you should expect them to have completed a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, which will show if they are on the barred list.
Best interests – Other people should act in your ‘best interests’ if you cannot make a particular decision for yourself (for example, about your health or finances). The law does not define the ‘best interests’ but lists things people around you must consider when deciding what is best for you. These include your wishes, feelings and beliefs, the views of your close family and friends on what you would want, and all your personal circumstances.
Body Map – A body map is a diagram that shows the different areas of the body and is used to document and track pain or discomfort in specific locations.
C
Caldicott Principles – The Caldicott Principles are a set of principles designed to ensure the confidentiality and security of patient information in the UK.
Capacity – The ability to make your own choices and decisions. To do this, you need to understand and remember information and communicate clearly – whether verbally or non-verbally – what you have decided. A person may lack capacity because of a mental health problem, dementia or learning disability.
Capacity to consent – ‘Consent’ is when you permit someone to do something to you or for you. ‘Capacity’ is your ability to understand what you are being asked to decide, to make a decision and to communicate that decision to people around you. Mental capacity can vary over time. If you have the capacity to consent, then you understand what you are being asked to agree to, and you can let people know whether you agree. See also informed consent.
Care Act 2014 – A law passed in England in 2014 that sets out what care and support you are entitled to and what local councils have to do. According to the law, councils must consider your well-being, assess your needs and help you get independent financial advice on paying for care and support.
Care package – The range of services offered to you as an individual by your council, following an assessment of your needs. It may include day services, aids and adaptations for your home and personal care.
Care plan – A written plan after you have had an assessment, setting out your care and support needs, how they will be met (including what you or anyone who cares for you will do) and what services you will receive.
Care Quality Commission (CQC) – An organisation set up by the Government to ensure that all hospitals, care homes, dentists, GPs and home care agencies in England provide safe, caring, effective, responsive and well-led care.
Care records / plan /prescription – Information about you is collected and kept by organisations assessing your needs and providing care and support services. Your records include basic personal details such as your name, address, date of birth, close relatives and carers, as well as information about your health and ability to carry out activities of daily living, and what has been agreed about your care and support. Your care records must be kept safely, and you should be asked if you are happy to share them with people involved in your care. You have the right to see your own records and should receive a copy of all assessments and care plans.
Carer’s allowance – A weekly payment from the Government if you support a partner, family member, friend or neighbour who could not manage without your help. You don’t have to be related to the person or live with them to be able to claim Carer’s Allowance. Whether you can claim it depends on how many hours a week you provide care for, what benefits the person you care for receives, and how much you earn (but not how much money you have in savings).
Carers assessment – If you are an unpaid carer for a family member or friend, you have the right to discuss with your local council what your needs are, separate from those of the person you care for. You can discuss anything that you think would help you with your own health or with managing other aspects of your life. The council uses this information to decide what help it can offer you.
Case conference – A meeting that is usually held when you are believed to be at risk of harm or abuse. The purpose is to discuss your situation and decide on a course of action to keep you safe. It will be attended by people who know you, such as your GP, community nurse or social worker. You (or your representative) should also be invited to the meeting.
Challenging behaviour – Behaviour that may cause harm to the person or to those around them, making it difficult for them to go out and about. It may include aggression, self-injury or disruptive/destructive behaviour. It is often caused by a person’s difficulty in communicating what they need – perhaps because of a learning disability, autism, dementia or a mental health problem. People whose behaviour is a threat to their own well-being or to others need the right support. They may be referred by their GP to a specialist behavioural team. The specialist team will work on understanding the causes of the behaviour and finding solutions. This is sometimes known as positive behaviour support.
Chronic condition – A persistent or long-lasting illness or health condition that cannot be cured but can usually be managed with medicines, treatments, care and support.
Clinical Waste – A term used to describe waste products produced in healthcare or similar services like home care. Items might include personal protective equipment (PPE) such as aprons, gloves, face masks, alongside items such as disposable bed sheets, bandages and used insulin needles.
Cognitive impairment – A problem with your brain that may make it difficult for you to remember things, solve problems, learn new things or make decisions. It may be mild or severe and something you are born with or caused by an illness or injury.
Community equipment service – A service in your area that supplies equipment to you on loan to enable you to live safely in your own home and remain independent. The type of equipment offered includes walking aids, bathing aids, special beds and other things that may be useful to you after a hospital stay or to enable you to remain at home rather than going into a care home. A health professional such as a nurse or therapist will carry out an assessment of what you need. The service is likely to be a partnership arrangement between your council and local NHS organisations.
Complaint – When you express that you are unhappy with some aspect of a service that has been provided or with how someone has acted towards you.
Complex needs – You may have complex needs if you require a high level of support with many aspects of your daily life and rely on various health and social care services. This may be because of illness, disability, loss of sight or hearing – or a combination of these. Complex needs may be present from birth or may develop following illness or injury or as people get older.
Compliance – All home care providers, like Premier Community, are regularly inspected by the Care Quality Comission (CQC) and measured against five areas to ensure the services we offer are: Safe; Effective; Caring; Responsive and Well-led, the results are available on the CQC website or by visiting our individual care branch pages. This ensures that you recieve the best possible care in a secure and regulated environment.
Confidentiality – Keeping information about someone safe and private and not sharing it without their knowledge and agreement. Any information you provide about yourself should be protected carefully and only shared with people or organisations who genuinely need to know it. Your personal details should not be discussed without your agreement.
Consent – When you give permission to someone to do something to you or for you.
Continuing health care – Ongoing care outside the hospital for someone who is ill or disabled, arranged and funded by the NHS. This type of care can be provided anywhere and can include the full cost of a place in a nursing home. It is provided when your need for day-to-day support is mostly due to your need for health care rather than social care. The Government has issued guidance to the NHS on how people should be assessed for continuing health care and who is entitled to receive it.
Continuity of care – There are two meanings to the phrase ‘continuity of care’: seeing the same doctor or other care professional every time you have an appointment or having your care well coordinated by a number of different professionals who communicate well with each other and with you. It is particularly important if you have a long-term condition or complex needs.
Court of Protection – An English court that makes decisions about the property, finances, health and welfare of people who lack the mental capacity to make decisions for themselves. The court can appoint a ‘deputy’ to make ongoing decisions on behalf of someone who lacks capacity. It is also able to grant power of attorney.
D
Dementia – Dementia is a general term that refers to a decline in cognitive function that interferes with daily life and activities. It encompasses a range of symptoms, including memory loss, difficulties with thinking and problem-solving, and changes in mood and behavior. Dementia is caused by various medical conditions, most commonly Alzheimer’s disease, but it can also result from vascular issues, Parkinson’s disease, and other neurological disorders. While dementia primarily affects older adults, it is not a normal part of aging and can significantly impact a person’s quality of life and their ability to live independently.
Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (Dols)– Legal protection for people in hospitals or care homes who are unable to make decisions about their own care and support, property or finances. People with mental health conditions, including dementia, may not be allowed to make decisions for themselves if this is deemed to be in their best interests. The safeguards exist to make sure that people do not lose the right to make their own decisions for the wrong reasons.
Dignity – Being worthy of respect as a human being and being treated as if you matter. You should be treated with dignity by everyone involved in your care and support. If dignity is not part of the care and support you receive, you may feel uncomfortable, embarrassed and unable to make decisions for yourself. Dignity applies equally to everyone, regardless of whether they have capacity.
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) – A government organisation that checks people’s criminal records in order to prevent unsuitable people from working with children or adults who may be at risk of harm or abuse.
Discrimination – Treating a person, or a group of people, differently from other people because of their sex, age, race or other things. It usually means treating the person unfairly and not offering them the same opportunities as other people.
Diversity – Recognising and respecting people’s differences in race, gender, sexual orientation, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs, etc. Valuing and including people from different backgrounds and helping everyone contribute to the community.
Domiciliary care – Otherwise known as ‘care at home‘, ‘homecare’ or ‘home care’, this is where a care worker provides help and support to an individual at home, helping them to maintain their independence and enjoy living in their own home.
Duty of candour – When something goes wrong with the health or social care that is provided to you, the organisation that provides the care has a legal obligation to be open with you, explain what has happened, and apologise to you.
E
eMAR – Electronic Medication Administration Record – an eMAR is a digital tool used in healthcare to manage and track medication given to patients. This system helps healthcare professionals by providing an accurate digital record of medications, dosages, and administration times, ensuring the best care for everyone. By minimizing the chances of medication errors and allowing for real-time updates, eMAR significantly boosts patient safety. Plus, it often works seamlessly with other electronic health record systems, making it even easier to coordinate and enhance patient care. It’s all about creating a safer and more efficient healthcare experience!
Enablement – A way of helping you to become more independent by gaining the ability to move around and do everyday tasks for yourself. You may be offered an enablement service if you have lost some daily living skills because of poor health, disability or a hospital stay. It usually lasts for around six weeks, takes place in your own home, and you won’t have to pay.
Equality – When every individual person has an equal opportunity to make the most of their life and is treated fairly, regardless of their race, gender, disability, belief, sexual orientation or age.
F
Funding – Relating to how your care services are paid. Home care usually falls under one of two categories – government-funded or self-funded.
G
Government Funding /Funded –In the context of social care, government funding provides financial support for services aimed at helping individuals who require assistance due to age, disability, or health conditions. This could include funding for home care services, residential care facilities, or support for caregivers.
H
Home care – Care provided in your own home by paid care workers to help you with your daily life. It is also known as domiciliary care.
I
Implied consent – When you are not specifically asked if you agree to something being done to you, but you behave as if you understand and agree. For example, putting your arm out when a nurse or doctor comes to take a blood sample suggests ‘implied consent’ on your part. Implied consent also applies if you are unconscious in an emergency. Medical staff may assume that you would agree to treatment if it is necessary to save your life.
Independent living – The right to choose the way you live your life. It does not necessarily mean living by yourself or doing everything for yourself. It means the right to receive the assistance and support you need to participate in your community and live the life you want.
Independent mental capacity advocate (IMCA) – An independent person who is knowledgeable about the Mental Capacity Act and people’s rights. An IMCA represents someone who does not have the capacity to consent to specific decisions, such as whether they should move to a new home or agree to medical treatment. The law says that people over the age of 16 have the right to receive support from an IMCA if they lack capacity and have no one else to support or represent them.
Independent personal budget – A statement provided by your council if you arrange and pay for your own care, which sets out what it would cost the council to meet your eligible care and support needs. From April 2020, the costs set out in your independent personal budget will count towards the cap on care costs.
Informed consent – When you have received the right information to enable you to decide whether to allow someone to do something to you or for you. You should only give consent if you understand what you are being asked to agree to, what the benefits and risks might be, and what the alternatives are if you do not agree. See also capacity to consent.
Integrated Care Board (ICB) – A key component of the healthcare system in England, ICBs work to bring together various health and social care organisations, such as hospitals, primary care providers, and local authorities, to improve patient outcomes and ensure that services are coordinated effectively.
Intermediate care – A wide range of services aimed at keeping you at home rather than in the hospital or helping you to come home early after illness or injury. It is normally made up of a specific programme of care for a fixed period of time, usually up to six weeks, and is free of charge. See also reablement.
K
Keysafe – A key safe is a secure lock box that holds a spare key to a home, allowing authorised individuals access without needing to worry about key management.
L
Lasting Power of Attorney – A legal decision you make to allow specific people to make decisions on your behalf. Click here to read more about why you should consider putting a Legal Power of Attorney in place and how to go about doing so.
Learning disability – A term that is used to describe a brain impairment that may make it difficult for someone to communicate, understand new or complex information, or learn new skills. The person may need help to manage everyday tasks or live independently. Learning disability starts in childhood and has a lasting effect on a person’s development. It can affect people mildly or severely.
M
Mental Capacity Act – A law that is designed to protect people who are unable to make decisions about their own care and support, property or finances because of a mental health condition, learning disability, brain injury or illness. ‘Mental capacity’ is the ability to make decisions for yourself. The law says that people may lose the right to make decisions if this is in their best interests. Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards are included in the law to make sure that people are treated fairly.
N
Needs assessment – The process of considering whether you need help or support because of your age, disability or illness. Anyone who appears to have a need for care or support – regardless of how severe those needs are or how much money they have – is entitled to a needs assessment, which can be arranged by contacting the adult social services department at your local council and requesting it.
Neglect – When you are mistreated by not being given the care and support you need if you are unable to care for yourself. It may include not being given enough food or the right kind of food, being left without help to wash or change your clothes, or not being helped to see a doctor when you need to.
Nominated individual – A person who leads a care service (such as a care home or home care agency) and makes sure that the service is safe and good enough quality. The nominated individual is the service’s main point of contact with the Care Quality Commission.
O
Occupational Therapist (OT)- A professional with specialist training in working with people with different types of disability or mental health needs. An OT can help you learn new skills or regain lost skills and can arrange for aids and adaptations you need in your home. Occupational therapists are employed both by the NHS and by local councils.
P
Palliative care – Care that you receive if you have an advanced, progressive illness for which there is no cure. The aim is to manage pain and other symptoms and help you have the best quality of life possible. It may be provided in your home or in a hospital or hospice.
Personal care – Help with personal matters such as eating, drinking, washing, going to the toilet, getting up, getting dressed, going to bed, taking medicines and other things.
Personalisation – A way of thinking about care and support services that puts you at the centre of working out your needs, choosing what support you need and having control over your life.
Person-centred care – An approach that puts the person receiving care and support at the centre of the way care is planned and delivered. It is based around you and your own needs, preferences and priorities. It treats you as an equal partner and puts into practice the principle of ‘no decision about me without me‘.
Primary care – The first point of contact in the health service, usually your GP, practice nurse, local pharmacist, dentist or NHS walk-in centre. Primary care doctors deal with a wide range of health problems. They treat common illnesses, help you manage long-term conditions and refer you to a specialist doctor when necessary.
Privacy – Being able to spend time alone or with your family or friends without other people seeing you or overhearing your conversations. It also means respect for confidentiality and your personal information and not sharing this with anyone unless you agree.
Pro Re Nata (PRN) – As and when needed – medical abbreviation used to describe how often a medication can be administered.
R
Reablement – A way of helping you remain independent by allowing you to relearn or regain some of the skills for daily living that may have been lost due to illness, accident or disability. Your council may offer a reablement service for a limited period in your own home that includes personal care, help with activities of daily living, and practical tasks around the home.
Registered Branch Manager – The person responsible for running a particular branch of a home care agency. The registered manager is responsible for leading the service and ensuring high standards.
Respect – Being treated well and as if you and your views and feelings matter to the person or organisation you are dealing with. The Care Act 2014 says that your council should always consider your well-being when making decisions that affect you and that treating you with respect is part of considering your well-being.
Respite care is a service that gives carers a break by providing short-term care for the person with care needs in their own home or a residential setting. It can mean a few hours during the day or evening, ‘night sitting’, or a longer-term break. It can also benefit the person with care needs by giving them the chance to try new activities and meet new people.
Review – When you receive a re-assessment of your needs, and you and the people in your life look at whether the services you are receiving are meeting your needs and helping you achieve your chosen outcomes. Changes can then be made if necessary.
Risk assessment – An assessment of your health, safety, well-being and ability to manage your essential daily routines. You might also hear the term risk enablement, which means finding a way to manage any risks effectively so that you can still do what you want to do.
S
Safeguarding – The process of ensuring that adults at risk are not being abused, neglected or exploited and ensuring that people who are deemed ‘unsuitable’ do not work with them.
SALT Team – Speech and Language Therapists who assess difficulties with swallowing and communication and offer support with dietary requirements and speech therapy exercises..
Self-funder – Refers to individuals who pay for their own care services without financial assistance from government programs, insurance, or other funding sources. This arrangement is common among seniors or individuals with disabilities who prefer to receive care in their homes and have the financial means to do so.
Sensory impairment – When one of your senses – sight, hearing, smell, touch, taste – does not work properly. It does not necessarily mean a total loss of one or more of your senses. You may be born with a sensory impairment or develop it later in life.
Service user – A person who receives services from a care and support provider. Not everyone likes this term and may prefer to be described simply as a ‘person who uses services’ rather than a ‘service user.’
Social care – Any help that you need, such as personal care or practical assistance, to live your life as comfortably and independently as possible because of age, illness or disability.
V
Visiting Care – Refers to a type of home care service where trained caregivers or healthcare professionals provide support to individuals in their own homes on a scheduled basis. This service is typically designed for those who need assistance with daily living activities but do not require full-time, round-the-clock care.
Vulnerable adult – An adult who may need care and support because of their age, disability or illness and may be unable to protect themselves from harm, neglect or abuse.
