Elder care glossary
Plain-language definitions of the terms you will encounter as a family caregiver — from ADLs to sundowning to power of attorney. Written for families, not clinicians.
Activities of Daily Living (ADLs)
The basic self-care tasks that a person performs daily, including bathing, dressing, eating, toileting, transferring (moving from bed to chair), and continence. Inability to perform ADLs is a key indicator that an older adult may need additional care.
Aging in Place
The ability of an older adult to live safely and independently in their own home for as long as possible, rather than moving to an assisted living facility or nursing home.
Assisted Living
A residential care option for seniors who need help with daily activities (bathing, dressing, medication) but do not require the 24-hour medical care provided by a nursing home. Average cost in the US is approximately $4,500 per month.
Caregiver Burnout
A state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion experienced by people who care for an aging or ill family member, often resulting from prolonged stress without adequate support or relief.
Cognitive Decline
A gradual reduction in cognitive abilities — memory, reasoning, attention, and language — that goes beyond normal age-related changes. May progress from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to dementia.
Fall Prevention
Strategies and interventions designed to reduce the risk of falls in elderly adults, including home modifications, exercise programs, medication reviews, vision checks, and daily monitoring.
Long-Distance Caregiving
Providing care and support for an aging parent or family member who lives an hour or more away. An estimated 11 million Americans are long-distance caregivers.
Medication Adherence
The extent to which a patient takes their medications as prescribed — at the right dose, at the right time, and for the right duration. Poor medication adherence in seniors is a major cause of preventable hospitalizations.
Polypharmacy
The simultaneous use of multiple medications by a single patient, typically five or more. Common in elderly adults managing multiple chronic conditions, polypharmacy increases the risk of drug interactions, side effects, and medication errors.
Power of Attorney (POA)
A legal document that authorizes one person to act on behalf of another in financial, legal, or healthcare matters. For elderly care, a durable power of attorney remains effective even if the person becomes incapacitated.
Respite Care
Temporary relief for primary caregivers, provided by substitute care — whether from a professional service, family member, volunteer, or technology solution. Respite care can be for a few hours, a day, or longer.
Sandwich Generation
Adults — typically in their 40s and 50s — who are simultaneously caring for aging parents and raising their own children, often while working full-time. They are "sandwiched" between two generations of caregiving responsibility.
Social Isolation
A lack of social connections and meaningful contact with other people. In elderly adults, social isolation increases the risk of dementia by 50%, depression by 40%, and premature death by 26%.
Sundowning
A pattern of increased confusion, agitation, anxiety, or disorientation that occurs in the late afternoon and evening in people with dementia or Alzheimer's disease.
Wellness Check
A scheduled visit, call, or contact to assess an elderly person's physical, emotional, and cognitive wellbeing. Wellness checks can be performed by family, community services, or technology-based solutions like daily AI phone calls.