The following glossary of terms is common usage definitions intended to help "decode" unfamiliar terms, aging services jargon and acronyms. It is included for your convenience and neither constitutes nor infers a referral or recommendation.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

AAA - Area Agency on Aging (nothing to do with cars or travel). Created by the federal Older Americans Act (OAA) over three decades ago, AAAs are responsible for planning, coordinating and administering programs for Americans age 60 and over at the local level. AAA is meant to maximize use of money from many sources, avoid duplication of effort and make sure local needs are met in ways that make sense locally. The designated AAA for the Houston Harris County area is Harris County Area Agency on Aging (713-794-9001).

Accessibility - Use and design of a space that allows the greatest amount of use by a person with a disability (Examples: Easy reach appliance, turning spaces that would allow a wheelchair to maneuver easily.)

ADA - Americans with Disabilities Act guarantees access and reasonable accommodation for persons with mental or physical disabilities. Its "predecessor," called "Sec. 504," is still applicable, as well.

Adaptability - Use and design of space that addresses the problems of individual differences over a period of time. Allows the space to be easily changed as needed. (Examples: Widening an existing doorway, adding a stair lift to a staircase)

ADL (also IADL) - Activities of Daily Living, along with "Instrumental Activities of Daily Living," are used to evaluate a person's functional capacity. For example, a person who cannot get out of a chair without assistance may need a specific intervention, such as physical therapy, or he/she may need 24-hour oversight in case of emergency, depending upon many other factors. ADLs are fairly standardized, universally accepted tasks, such as dressing, bathing and eating, which indicate a person's ability to manage independently or his/her need for assistance. Inability to perform Activities of Daily Living can be measured objectively, thereby providing valuable guidance when decisions about care and living arrangements must be made.

Adult Day Care - Community-based programs designed to meet the needs of adults with functional impairments. Through a structured and comprehensive program, adult day care centers offer a variety of health, social and related support services in a supervised, protective setting during some portion of the day.

Advance Directives - These legal documents are ways of making your preferences known in advance, in case you become unable to speak for yourself at a future time. They include Living Wills, Durable Powers of Attorney for Health Care and Durable Financial Powers of Attorney. All are best tailored to your needs if executed with the assistance of an attorney, but standard forms are also available. See below for definitions of each.

Advocacy Assistance - Programs that seek to influence legislative or regulatory actions to benefit specific interest groups or achieve specific social, political or environmental goals. Advocacy programs may intercede on behalf of individuals or groups to ensure that they receive the benefits and services to which they are legally entitled and that rights guaranteed by law are protected and enforced.

Alzheimer's Disease - A progressive dementia, meaning the loss of memory and/or cognitive (thinking, reasoning) abilities, caused by specific changes in the brain that gets worse over time. Only a small percentage of people with Alzheimer's Disease have inherited it, usually those showing symptoms at earlier ages than typical. Alzheimer's Disease progresses at different rates in different individuals, but certain phases are predictable. Other possible causes of the symptoms, from medication interaction or poor nutrition to depression or a bladder infection, should be ruled out before Alzheimer's is diagnosed. No cure exists, but research is making remarkable strides and treatment is available for some symptoms. Support Groups have proven extremely helpful to families and people with the disease. Other caregivers sometimes have the best information on what works and what doesn't in coping with the various behaviors and stages of the illness. See "dementia" below for more.

Assisted Living Facilities  - Residential facilities for older adults who are unable to function independently because they need assistance with toileting, bathing, dressing, medication management, meals and housekeeping and other activities of daily living, but do not require nursing care on a regular basis. Facilities can be large apartment-like settings or private residence.  These facilities are licensed by the state.

Bed hold/Medicaid, Medicare -The safeguarding of a nursing home bed when a nursing home resident is temporarily hospitalized or out of the facility on therapeutic leave. The state of Texas Medicaid program does not pay for bed holds. After a temporary leave the nursing facility residents on Medicaid have a right to return to the first available bed in the facility even if the state has not paid to hold their original bed.

Caregiver - Is the term widely used for someone caring for another person. Most caregivers of older adults are family members and most are women. Professional caregivers, such as nurses, therapists, dieticians, doctors, aides and many, many others can be used to support or stabilize "family" caregiving. Extended family and non-family (by traditional definitions only) caregivers are increasingly part of an older adult's care network when illness or injury makes one necessary.

Care Management - Programs that develop a plan of care for the evaluation, treatment or care of individuals who, because of age, illness, disability or other difficulties, are unable to arrange for services on their own behalf. Care management programs assess an individual's needs; coordinate the delivery of services; ensure that services are obtained in accordance with the care plan; and follow up and monitor progress to ensure that services are benefiting the client.

Care Manager or Case Manager - These terms are often used interchangeably. They may mean something different under a health insurance plan or within a public agency, but all care/case managers determine what a person needs/wants and then try to find and put those things in place. This is called the assessment and care plan process and may be ongoing, not just a one-time occurrence. Good care/case management respects the client's autonomy. Hospital social workers, discharge planners, community or county social services staff, nurses and private practitioners all may perform some case/care management tasks.

CBA (Community Based Alternatives) Community Care - In Texas this program falls under Medicaid and provides services for a person frail enough to meet guidelines for nursing home care, but who chooses to live in the community. To be eligible, strict income, asset and care need requirements must be met. This is an extremely helpful program for eligible people and always worth investigating; however, there is always a waiting list for these services. Round-the-clock, in-home care is not available under current CBA regulations.

CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) - CMS is a Federal agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that administers the Medicare program and works in partnership with states to administer Medicaid and Health Insurance Portability (HIPPA) standards. This agency was previously known as the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA). Three new business centers were established as a part of the reform: the Center for Beneficiary Choices, the Center for Medicare Management, and the Center for Medicaid and State Operations. You can contact Medicare 24 hours a day at 1-800-633-4227. In Texas Medicaid is administered through the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, which administers the Texas Medicaid program.

Community-Based Care or Services - It is also common to hear people who work with older adults talk about "community" services. These are meaning services that come to a person's residence or are available to that person still living at home, as opposed to a service delivered in a residential facility, such as a nursing home. You may even see the term "community spouse" used to refer to the husband or wife of a person who lives in a nursing home, if that other spouse is still living in the "community."

Community Spouse's Resource Allowance (CSRA)/Medicaid -The CSRA is an amount of resources that states must protect for the spouse of an institutionalized person seeking Medicaid coverage. It is determined by application of a formula, or through a hearing or by court order. The CSRA may not be counted in determining the eligibility of an individual seeking Medicaid.

Consumer Services - Programs that provide for the education and protection of individuals who purchase, use, maintain and dispose of products and services. Included are programs that establish or enforce pricing policies, credit reporting and debt collection practices; quality and safety standards for goods and services and other practices that affect the consumer; programs that provide information or counseling to help consumers manage their finances and make informed credit and purchasing decisions; programs that provide access for consumers to fair hearings, mediation or binding arbitration when they have complaints regarding consumer products and services; and programs that provide for appropriate remedies when consumer complaints are justified. This includes services such as consumer action groups, nursing home complaints and fraud or crime prevention.

Continence and Incontinence - Continence is the ability to control bladder and bowel functions. A person who has lost this ability or has "accidents" may be considered "incontinent." Remember that some incontinence is quite manageable with reminders, medication management by a physician or other means. Many caregivers report that dealing with incontinence (and the problems it causes, such as constant laundry, skin breakdown, isolation) is what finally makes them ask for help or consider nursing home placement.  

Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) - Most CCRCs offer three basic levels of housing on an as-needed basis: fully independent living, assisted living (personal care services) and skilled nursing care. This type of housing generally requires that an individual be able to live independently upon entrance into the community. The basic idea of a CCRC is that once an individual becomes a resident, he/she never has to move again because any housing type and personal care services he/she will probably ever need are provided within the single campus setting. A CCRC guarantees housing and care across the continuum in that one community. As a general rule a CCRC will charge an entrance fee as well as a monthly payment for its residential, leisure and nursing services. In some cases, health care and personal care services can be paid for on an as-needed basis.

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Dementia - Is a generic term that refers to an abnormal loss of memory, confusion, ability to think or reason or recognize people and words. Dementia can be used as a diagnosis for cognitive impairment but it is also a symptom of a medical problem. Dementia may be temporary and at times can be treated. If permanent, it may not get steadily worse. Dementia, or "cognitive impairment," may be caused by a wide variety of injuries or illnesses, infection or a reaction to a medication. Hospitalization or other radical changes in surroundings or routine can cause or exacerbate disorientation. Inadequate nutrition is another cause. Not all dementia is Alzheimer's, but all Alzheimer's is the most common reason for dementia, which is permanent and gets worse. Strokes, even small ones, and other syndromes, such as Parkinson's, may also cause or be associated with dementia. Depression, loss, a move or other upheaval can be causes. Careful evaluation, often by a team of healthcare professionals, and possibly on an inpatient basis, may help identify the cause and maximize treatment options. Research shows some loss of brain function in all of us beginning around age 40. Dementia is not a normal function of aging, although its prevalence increases with advanced age (85 and over).

Developmental Disabilities - Substantial impairments that result from mental retardation, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, autism or other neurological impairments that arise before the individual attains the age of 18 and that are expected to continue indefinitely. Programs for individuals with developmental disabilities include adult day programs, residential options, vocational services, respite care and counseling.

Discharge planning - This service is usually performed by a social worker on staff in connection with a discharge of a patient from a hospital, nursing home or like institution. A smooth transition in moving from one level of care to another involves assessment by the social worker of the patient's level of need. The discharge planner also contacts home health agencies to assist the patient in connection with his/her home care.

DPAHC or Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care - This legal document allows you to delegate authority to make any and all healthcarecific decisions on your behalf to the person you name (your "agent") in the document.  Legally, if you are in a coma or otherwise incapacitated, you are not capable of "delegating." Therefore, an ordinary power of attorney is void once you are incapacitated. The "durable" in Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care means that this instrument, if properly written and executed, goes into effect upon your incapacity and remains in effect for the duration. You can tailor a DPAHC to reflect your exact wishes in the event you are unable to speak for yourself, including instructions about nutrition (feeding) and hydration (providing fluids) or use of life-sustaining measures. Attorneys recommend appointing one agent, with that person's consent, appointing an alternate in case that first person is not available and discussing your wishes and the document with family members, clergy, your physician and others.  It is important to discuss your wishes with your agent and an alternate so that they are clear about your medical preferences.

Durable Financial Power of Attorney - Same as above, but covers your money, assets and property. The two instruments, if you execute both, need to work together. For example, make provisions so that the medical care you want can be reimbursed. This does not replace the need for a will. All powers of attorney expire when you do.

Durable Medical Equipment or DME - Usually a Medicare term for items like wheelchairs that are not used up quickly, as opposed to supplies like dressings or syringes. Medicare covers the items it defines as DME under the right conditions.

EAP - Employee Assistance Programs are offered by some employers as non-financial benefits that come with the job. One possible option is eldercare counseling, a term for assistance with the responsibilities of caregiving for an older family member while you work. Typically, this includes referrals to service providers and some level of assessment service.

Elder Abuse and Neglect - Programs designed to assist and protect older persons who are either institutionalized or reside in the community and who might be subjected to or vulnerable to the infliction of physical pain, mental anguish, unreasonable confinement, exploitation or the willful deprivation of essential services to the degree that it harms, or threatens with harm to, their physical or emotional health. Adult protective services and institutional abuse reporting programs are mandatory in Texas.

Elder Law Attorney -These are lawyers who specialize and are well-versed in the areas of law of particular interest to older adults. The Older Americans Act mandates that part of its funding be used to insure access to legal services for anyone age 60 and over, so no one need go unrepresented, particularly where loss or denial of benefits, eviction, mistreatment or inappropriate discharge from a facility are at issue. Call your local Area Agency on Aging to find out who provides elder legal assistance in your area.

Emergency Management Organizations - Centers opened by federal authorities in cooperation with appropriate local jurisdictions that provide assistance for citizens who have sustained losses in a fire, flood, hurricane, earthquake, tornado or other disaster.

Emergency Response Systems - Programs that provide electronic equipment that connects frail elderly individuals or people who have disabilities with participating hospitals, paramedics, designated family members or other sources of emergency assistance.

Ethical Wills - Ethical wills are a way to share your values, blessings, life's lessons, hopes and dreams for the future, love, and forgiveness with your family, friends, and community.

Estate Recovery/Medicaid - Federal law dictates that each state place into effect an estate recovery program that provides for recovery of the cost of medical assistance dollars provided to a Medicaid recipient.  Recovery programs focus on the expenses associated with long term care services of the chronically ill generally related to nursing home costs.

Financial Assistance - Programs that provide temporary or ongoing financial assistance for individuals facing an unexpected financial crisis and for eligible low-income individuals to ensure that they have a basic income or that they are able to meet emergency financial needs.

Financial Services - Programs that provide assistance and services in the form of financial or legal counseling. Services may include making arrangements for the disposition of an individual's property upon his or her death, providing a variety of supportive services for individuals who need assistance in completing or filing insurance claims, offering advice and guidance for people who need to understand property tax laws as they relate to individuals in their situations, and offering advice and guidance regarding money management techniques for people who are having difficulty budgeting their money and meeting necessary monthly expenses.

Geriatric Assessment - Programs that evaluate the medical or psychosocial functioning of an elderly person to arrive at a diagnosis and identify possible treatment.

Guardian - The person appointed by a court, usually a probate court under a modern protective services statute, to perform the court-ordered tasks of caring for an incapacitated adult's financial affairs and/or personal needs. Three different types of guardians have varying degrees of authority: Plenary guardian with total authority over personal and property matters; Guardian of the person with authority only over personal matters such as medical decisions and residential questions; and Guardian of the estate with authority over property only.

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Health Centers/Clinics - Outpatient health care facilities that provide a broad range of diagnostic medical care and treatment services that may include examinations, immunizations, dental care, laboratory and radiology services and health education. Services are usually available on ability-to-pay basis and target low-income and indigent residents of the community. Services may be available through private, nonprofit organizations or county-operated outpatient facilities.

Health Conditions/Disease - Agencies that are organized at state, local or federal levels and provide services, education and research about a particular disease, condition or disability. Programs may also offer screening procedures.

Health Supportive Products - Programs that provide equipment, products, supplies or other forms of support that supplement the treatment or rehabilitation of people who have illnesses, injuries or disabilities. These products improve the functioning of people who have disabilities or help prevent illnesses, injuries or disabilities prior to their occurrence.

Home Care Services - Programs that make certain types of personal care available for elderly, disabled, ill or convalescent individuals in their homes. These services are designed to help enhance a person's quality of life as well as to prevent or postpone the need for higher levels of care. See also Supportive Services, Home Care Providers, Home Health Agencies, Home Health Care. Services included are: chores' grocery delivery, hairdressing in the home, homemaker, pharmacy, and respite care.

Home Health Agencies - Companies that provide short-term skilled nursing or rehabilitative services to homebound persons following a decline in function or an acute illness. Medicare, Medicaid, Veteran's Administration or private insurance may cover these services. Medicare will pay 100 percent of the cost of services when the doctor orders skilled, intermittent nursing care or rehabilitation services. The program does not cover ongoing care. Medicare will also pay 100 percent when the doctor orders the services of a part-time home health aide in conjunction with those skilled services. The home health aide will assist with bathing and dressing of the patient and light housekeeping in the area the patient occupies. These nurses, therapists and aides remain in the patient's home only long enough to perform their specific tasks.

Hospice Care - Programs that provide a full range of palliative and supportive services for terminally ill people who are in the final stages of their illnesses and for their families. Services may include medical care, pain and symptom management, home nurse visitation, care management, counseling and bereavement services for the patient and members of the family. A hospice may be a freestanding facility, a unit in a hospital or other institution, a program of a hospital, agency or institution, or service delivered in the home or residential institution.

Hospitals - Facilities where patients receive medical care, screening, counseling, evaluation and treatment for illness, injury or disability. Hospitals may also provide non-medical hospital-based outpatient services, such as senior enrollment programs, social services and physician referrals.

HUD - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development funds public and subsidized housing, including senior high-rises, as well as "Sec. 8" vouchers for apartments, mortgage programs and demonstration projects for low-income persons.

Income Security - Programs that provide public assistance and support for the eligible needy and ensure those retirees, older adults, disabled people and other eligible individuals receive the social insurance benefits to which they are entitled.

Incontinence - Decreased, or lack of, bladder and/or bowel control. Please refer to "continence" above.

Independent - Used in the context of aging services, a person's potential to live independently is evaluated based on functional abilities. Ordinary tasks a person can or cannot perform are considered. How much assistance is needed to perform them and is that support available? Independence is valued and the goal is to preserve it whenever possible. Housing choices are particularly influenced by how independently a person is able to function. Please refer to ADL" (Activities of Daily Living), discussed above.

Information & Referral - Programs whose primary purpose is to maintain up-to-date information about human services in the community and to link people who need assistance with appropriate service providers. I&R specialists may supply descriptive information about the agencies or organizations that offer services and help with access. The process involves establishing contact with the individual, responding to a direct request from the individual or assessing the individual's long and short-term needs, identifying resources to meet those needs, providing a referral to identified resources, and, where appropriate, following up to ensure that the individual's needs have been met. 211 is the United Way of Gulf Coast information and referral helpline in Texas.

Insurance Programs - Programs that issue policies by which a company agrees to pay a specified amount to the beneficiary upon the insured person's death or programs that indemnify or reimburse policy holders for all or a portion of the cost of hospital or medical care or lost income arising from an illness or injury.

Intestacy is when you die without making a valid will that dictates how you want your financial resources distributed. If you die "intestate"- without a will- what happens to your property ("estate") will depend on your marital status and whether or not you have children.

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Legal Services - Programs that are staffed by attorneys or other qualified individuals (paralegals) under supervision of an attorney, who offer advice and guidance regarding legal matters and offer suggestions for an appropriate course of action. The attorney may or may not represent the client in court. Also included in this category are programs that may identify an impartial third person who is acceptable to all parties involved to facilitate a discussion and aid them in making their own settlement decision, and programs that may make arrangements for an individual's estate.

Leisure and Recreation - Programs that provide access to a variety of pursuits for people who want to make constructive and satisfying use of their free time. Included are programs that provide facilities, equipment, supplies or instruction that allow individuals to participate in or enjoy recreational or artistic activities of their choice. Also included are programs that provide classes for people who want to learn or perfect their skills in a particular leisure time activity. Senior centers, senior clubs, specialized clubs for the developmentally disabled, travel clubs and programs offered by parks and recreation departments would be included in this category.

Living Trust - A trust is an alternate way to hold title to your assets during your lifetime.  In the event of your incapacity, a person designated by you would serve as the successor trustee and manage the assets for your benefit.  Upon your death, the assets held in the trust would be distributed as you have specified and would not go through the probate court system.  A living trust arrangement does not provide any income tax or estate tax advantage versus the planning that could be done by having a will. 

Living Will - A living will can instruct physicians as to your wishes, should you be terminally or irrevocably ill. To protect your choices more fully, execution of a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care is HIGHLY recommended in addition to a living will. Please refer to DPAHC, above, and check with an attorney if you have questions. In Texas a Living Will is call a Medical Directive to Physicians and can be completed without the aid of a lawyer on the Texas state approved forms.

Long Term Care - Long term care is not just nursing home care. It covers a variety of arrangements such as shared housing, retirement communities, assisted living and home health and personal care that is generally custodial in nature. Given the complexity and options, it is considered advisable to plan ahead and learn about available services and resources in your local area.

Long Term Care Insurance - An insurance policy that helps cover the cost of long term care, which is wide range of personal care, health care and social services for people of all ages who can no longer care for themselves because of chronic illness, long-lasting disability or the health decline and effects of aging. Medicare or general health and disability policies do not cover long term care needs. Medicaid only covers long term care in a nursing home for those with very limited income & financial resources; however most long term care is not administered in a nursing home but rather in one's own home or that of a relative. Long term care insurance is considered a way to protect your savings.

Long Term Care Ombudsman - Ombudsman provide advocacy services to nursing home and assisted living residents in the metropolitan area. In Houston the program is administered by the UT Center on Aging at the School of Nursing.

Medicaid - Medicaid is a health benefit program administered by the State for people with low incomes who meet other eligibility requirements. Both eligibility and benefits vary state to state and do not "transfer" from one state to another. Medicaid pays for nursing home stays for those people who have exhausted nearly all their assets and financial resources.

Medicaid Waiver - Programs that allow states to provide services in the home or community, reimbursable by Medicaid, to individuals at risk of institutionalization or who are receiving institutional care and need help in returning to the community.

Medicare - Medicare is a federal program for hospital and medical care tied to Social Security eligibility, for individuals age 65 and older and certain disabled persons, regardless of income. Medicare is a national program, which moves with you from state to state. Medicare does NOT pay for extended nursing home stays. Medicare part A covers hospital and short term skilled care, while part B covers physician services, therapies and home health care, and part D covers prescription medication and some medical supplies.

Medigap - is a term coined for privately purchased health insurance that fills in the "gaps" in Medicare coverage. You may purchase this through private health insurance policies to supplement Medicare coverage for hospital and doctor bills; it does not provide help with long term care costs.

Mental Health - Programs that provide preventive, diagnostic and treatment services in a variety of community and hospital-based settings to help people to achieve maintain and enhance a state of emotional well-being, personal empowerment and the skills to cope with everyday demands.

Nursing Homes - Inpatient health care facilities that provide nursing and custodial care over an extended period of time for individuals who need 24-hour care and supervision. These facilities provide long range, comprehensive medical, personal and social services to chronically ill and disabled individuals.  These facilities are licensed by the State and provide 24 hour nursing care, room and board, and activites for convalescent residents and those with chronic and/or long- term care illnesses.  Regular medical supervision and rehabilitation therapy are mandated to be available.  Nursing homes are eligible to participate in the Medicaid program. Nursing Homes are also referred to as Nursing Facilities or Convalescent Homes.  

Nutrition Services - Programs that seek to meet the basic nutritional needs of the elderly or disabled by providing improved access to free or low-cost food, including home-delivered meals (Meals on Wheels), congregate meals, and food stamp coupons that can be exchanged for food in nearly all grocery stores.

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Organizations or Associations - Public, private or nonprofit agencies that promote the interests of a specific trade or profession or group of people sharing a common interest. They provide educational and professional development opportunities, often through journals, periodicals, professional conferences, expositions and other similar gatherings. Some associations may establish standards that relate to the qualifications and performance of members. Others may accept and investigate complaints from the public concerning the practices of members. Some offer referral services to connect the public to member individuals, groups, agencies or businesses.

Palliative Care - Palliative care is an approach to health care that focuses on improving the quality of life for those with a terminal or life-limiting illness. Palliative care treats death and dying as a normal life process that intends to neither hasten nor postpone death, while respecting the patient's wishes. Palliative care offers a support system that emphasizes comfort and the reduction of suffering for both the patient and their family.

Personal Care Homes- see Assisted Living Facilities listed above.

Personal Support Services - Provides light housekeeping and basic personal care in the consumer's home.

Prescription Programs - Programs that help individuals obtain prescription medications at reduced or no cost. Eligibility is usually based on need or income.

Program for All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) - The Program for All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) began as a Medicare and Medicaid demonstration project. The PACE program targets frail elderly persons living at home who are eligible for nursing home care and integrates health and long term care services in an adult day care setting. There is not a pace program in the Houston Harris County area.

Representative Payee - A representative payee is an individual or organization that receives Social Security and/or SSI payments for someone who cannot manage or direct the management of his/her money. Payees should use the funds for the current and foreseeable needs of the beneficiary and save any remaining funds for the beneficiary's future use.

Respite Care - Temporary relief from the duties of caregiving that range from several hours to days.  Care can be provided in-home or in an adult day center or in a residential care setting such as an assisted living facility or a nursing home.

Reverse mortgage - A reverse mortgage is a loan that allows homeowners aged 62 and over to convert the equity in their homes into cash, while they are living in their homes.  Older adults that are house rich but cash poor often use it. Instead of making monthly payments to a lender, as with a regular first mortgage or home equity loan, a lender makes payments to you. While a reverse mortgage loan is outstanding, you continue to own the home and hold title to it. You do not need to make any payments back on the loan while you still live in your house.   The loan comes due in full when you move out, die or sell your home.  The money from a reverse mortgage can be used for ANYTHING: daily living expenses; home repairs and home modifications; medical bills and prescription drugs; pay-off of existing debts; continuing education; travel; long-term health care; prevention of foreclosure; and other needs. To qualify for a reverse mortgage you must be at least 62 and own your own home. There are no income or medical requirements to qualify. You may be eligible for a reverse mortgage even if you still owe money on a first or second mortgage. 

Roth IRA - The Roth IRA, named after Senator Roth who created it under the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997, is a nondeductible individual retirement account. Contributions to a Roth IRA are not deductible; Roth IRA contributions may be made after the owner has attained the age of 70½; and, qualified distributions from a Roth IRA are not included in gross income or subject to the minimum distribution rules if certain conditions are met. The income earned on the assets of a Roth IRA is tax free prior to distribution.

Senior Centers -The centers in area range from centers where there may be an activity room to large multi-purpose centers with fitness and computer centers. These centers provide services to older adults such as home delivered meals, hot noon meals, recreation, transportation, intake for employment programs, outreach, trip, education and other services to assist older adults to remain independent in their own homes.

Skilled Nursing Care - The term refers to a level of care that must be furnished by or under direct supervision of licensed nursing personnel and under the general direction of a physician in order to assure the safety of the patient and achieve the medically desired result. Examples of skilled nursing care are: intravenous injections, tube feeding, kidney dialysis, colostomy care, the use of medical gases, observation and monitoring of a patient's unstable condition, and changing sterile dressings. The primary responsibility determining a patient's need for skilled nursing care rests with the physician. Medicare will cover skilled nursing care but will not cover custodial care.

Spirituality - Spirituality refers to having a personal belief system that provides meaning and purpose to one's life.

STAR+PLUS - STAR+PLUS is a Medicaid managed care program of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission designed to integrate delivery of acute and long term care services through a managed care system to provide services to the elderly and people with disabilities (physical or mental) that live in Harris County, Texas and qualify for SSI benefits or for Medicaid due to low income. Many STAR+PLUS clients are "dually eligible" which means they are on both Medicaid and Medicare. Managed care refers to a health system in which a network of health care providers agree to coordinate and provide health care to a population in exchange for a specific payment per person, the "capitation rate."

Support Groups - Groups of individuals who share a common problem or concern and who meet together on a voluntary basis for mutual support. Members of mutual support groups share their experiences, strengths and hopes and rely on one another for assistance in the group setting. Professionals or peers may facilitate groups.

Supportive Services - Programs that decrease the personal and social isolation of elderly or disabled individuals.

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Terminally Ill - An illness, disease or injury where recovery can no longer be reasonably expected. For purposes of Medicare-covered hospice care, a person with a terminal illness has a life expectancy of six months or less, as certified by a physician, if the illness runs a normal course.

Testator - The person who creates a will.

Universal Design - Those design features that make a home safe and comfortable for everyone, young or old, whether they have a disability or not and benefits everyone by accommodating limitations.

Visitability - Provides for a minimum level of access based on the Americans Disability Act (ADA) initiatives that will allow a person using a wheelchair basic access to the ground floor of a home. (Examples: stepless entry, 32" clear doorways, first floor bed and bath with enough space for two to simultaneously use space.)

Volunteer Services - Programs that provide meaningful work opportunities for people who are willing to offer their services on a full- or part-time basis for no remuneration or for very low stipends, such as the Senior Companion Program.

Wellness Programs - Programs designed to educate individuals or groups about the connection between good health habits and quality of life. These programs focus achieving health benefits through positive changes in physical, psychological or social areas of life.

Wills - Wills allow you to determine how your estate should be handled and by whom, after you are deceased.  Will have to go through the probate court system. 

Adapted from the Age Wise glossary and Frequently asked questions of the Area Agency on Aging, Atlanta Region.  Special thanks to Aging Atlanta, a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Community Partnership for Older Adults initiative.

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