Home Health Care Glossary

Home Health Care Glossary

BSN – Bachelor of Science in Nursing

This is a common abbreviation for the title of someone who has passed a Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at a college or university.

Caregiver

In the professional caregiving industry, a caregiver is someone who provides care and assistance for others and is a Certified Nursing Assistant at the minimum. In a personal setting, a caregiver is a friend or family member who takes on the role of helping someone that is sick or injured.

CNA – Certified Nursing Assistant

CNAs work under the supervision of Registered Nurses and provide hands-on care for patients. Caregivers who are Certified Nursing Assistants are often the ones who assist senior citizens with eating, dressing, bathing, and other everyday tasks.

Geriatrics

Geriatrics is a branch of medicine that focuses on the healthcare that elderly people receive. It also looks at how proactive measures can be taken to prevent diseases and illnesses from emerging within the elderly population.

Home Healthcare

Home healthcare encompasses the multitude of medical services that one can receive in the comfort of their own home.

Immunization

Vaccines are used to create immunity by triggering an autoimmune response within the body. When an actual virus makes it into the body of a vaccinated person, their antibodies will kill off the virus and they will not have to worry about getting sick or passing on the virus on to someone else.

LPN – Licensed Practical Nurse

Licensed practical nurses provide bedside care. They provide nursing services at the direction of a physician or other Registered Nurse. As part of their duties, they can also measure vital signs, give injections, and change catheters.

OT – Occupational Therapist

An occupational therapist helps patients improve their ability to complete everyday tasks. The abilities they can help with include actual work, such as gardening or volunteering, but can also include any physical work such as cooking and eating. People who have suffered from a stroke, injury, or disorder, typically work with an OT to improve or recover their day-to-day abilities.

PT – Physical Therapy or Physical Therapist

Physical therapists administer physical evaluations, diagnoses, plans, and treatment. They help restore patients’ health by providing therapy sessions, as well as education, intervention, and rehabilitation.

RN – Registered Nurse

A Registered Nurse holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a valid national nursing license. They care for patients that are sick, or injured, in various medical settings such as hospitals, retirement homes, and out-patient clinics.

RNs are qualified to administer treatments, give medication, and provide medical education. They typically work under a physician or follow their instructions.

Skilled Nursing

Many patients require the care of a skilled nurse in order to improve their health after being sick or injured. A skilled nurse can be a Licensed Practical Nurse or a Registered Nurse.

Social Worker

Social workers help senior citizens overcome challenges that they may be faced with by connecting them with the right services and resources. Additionally, some social workers provide counseling services directly to their clients.

ST – Speech Therapist

A speech therapist, also known as a Speech-language Pathologist, helps patients improve their ability to communicate by training them in new skills or helping them rehabilitate lost ones. Speech Therapists also provide treatment for improving cognition delays and comprehension.