ADULT CARE HOMES
Long term care facilities that provide room, board, laundry, 24 hour care, some personal care, recreational, and social services for two or more residents. Different types of Adult Care Homes are: rest homes, group homes, and family care homes.

ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES
Provided through the county Department of Social Services. Protective services for adults focus on protection from abuse, neglect, and exploitation. Social workers may arrange for services, counsel caregivers, and initiate legal action on behalf of an incompetent adult to ensure the adult’s health and safety.

ADVANCE DIRECTIVE
Method for people to leave evidence of their preferences about health-care treatments and thus to preserve their control over health-care decisions in case of future incapacity. These methods are the Living Will and the Health-Care Power of Attorney.

ADVOCACY
Assisting older individuals to uphold their rights and to obtain the services they need.

AGEISM
Refers to prejudice based on age.

AREA AGENCY ON AGING (AAA)
An Agency established under the Older Americans Act, that serves to facilitate and support the development of county based programs on aging and address issues of regional importance.

ASSESSMENT
A means to evaluate and make a determination about the needs, importance, and value of a person or situation.

COERCION
Someone forces an act or choice upon another person

COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE
A committee of volunteers who advocate on behalf of residents’ rights in long-term care facilities under the supervision of the Regional Long Term Care Ombudsman.

GROUP HOME
An Adult Care Home that provides residential care for two to nine adults who have been diagnosed as having a developmental disability.

GUARDIAN (GENERAL)
Has authority of both a guardian of the estate and a guardian of the person.

GUARDIAN OF THE ESTATE
Has authority over the ward’s property, finances, and related matters.

GUARDIAN OF THE PERSON
Has authority over the ward’s personal care and circumstances

GUARDIANSHIP
The performance of legal and financial transactions on behalf of a client, based upon legal transfer of responsibility.

HEALTH CARE POWER OF ATTORNEY
A document that appoints someone else to make health care decisions for a person, should the person become unable to make or express them for himself or herself.

HOME AND COMMUNITY CARE BLOCK GRANT
A source of funding for counties to provide services for older adults, which represents the consolidation of applicable Older Americans Act funds, Social Services Block Grant funds for respite care, portions of the State In-home and Adult Day Care funds, and other applicable state and federal funds.

LEGAL ASSISTANCE
Provides information on legal rights, legal advice, benefits, entitlements and/or appeals. Also includes preventive measures such as community education.

LIVING WILL
Is an individual’s statement that he/she wants to die a natural death. That is, the individual does not want his or her life prolonged by artificial means if there is no reasonable hope of recovery. The technical name for a living will in North Carolina is "Declaration of a Desire for a Natural Death."

LONG TERM CARE OMBUDSMAN PROGRAM
The Ombudsman Program provides advocacy services for residents in long term care facilities (nursing homes and adult care homes). The objectives of the program are to: provide training and support to Community Advisory Committees; ensure that Nursing Home and Adult Care Home Patient’s Bill of Rights are adhered to; work to resolve grievances and complaints made by or on behalf of individuals who are residents of long term care facilities; educate the public on long term care issues; promote community involvement in long term care facilities (i.e. volunteers); and monitor the development and implementation of federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and policies with respect to long term care facilities.

NURSING HOME
Facility that provides intermediate or skilled nursing care for patients who need continuing medical supervision for chronic medical conditions or for patients who need remedial or convalescent care, but are not acutely ill on admission and do not need general hospital care.

OLDER AMERICANS ACT (OAA)
The federal legislation enacted originally in 1965, that supports planning, development, and delivery of services for people age 60 and older, regardless of their economic status. These services include congregate and home-delivered meals, a variety of individual home care services, and support for community involvement.

PROVIDER
An individual (physician, nurse, therapist, etc.) or institution (hospital, nursing home, etc.) providing medical care.

SENIOR CENTER
A community center for the elderly that promotes activities of interest and involvement in the community. Centers offer many educational, recreational, cultural and social events.

SENIOR TAR HEEL LEGISLATURE (STHL)
A legislative group created by the NC General Assembly in 1993 to help give older adults a voice about their needs and concerns. Each county has a delegate and alternate member who represent the older adults in their county.