Terms

Familiarize yourself with terms commonly used to describe long term care in Milwaukee.  Doing so will enable you to better understand the resources and levels of care available. Here you will see the most frequently used words and phrases regarding long term care.

Medical =      Social =      Financial =      Personal =

	Adult Day Services — Enjoy a day outside your home. This is a place where you can go during the daytime to enjoy recreational activities and receive limited medical care, therapy services, personal care (such as bathing) and meals. Transportation is often provided. See also Respite Care. .
	Adult Family Home — See Assisted Living. .
	Advance Directives — Take charge of how your medical and financial decisions will be made should you lose the ability to make such decisions yourself. In Wisconsin, advance directives include a will, a living will, a power of attorney for health care and a power of attorney for finances. .
	Assisted Living — If you need a moderate level of assistance and you are financially able to pay for it, you may choose to live in this type of licensed facility. Services typically include medication monitoring, laundry, housekeeping, social and recreational activities, meals and some forms of personal care (such as bathing or dressing). In Wisconsin, this includes several types of licensed facilities: Community-Based Residential Facility, Residential Community Apartment Complex and Adult Family Home. The types and sizes of facilities vary from a small home to a large apartment-style complex. .
	Community-Based Residential Facility — See Assisted Living. .
	Companion Services — Brighten your day with visits from volunteers who will chat, read and/or run quick errands for you. Also known as “friendly visitor” services, they may be provided through community, religious, civic or service organizations. .
	Continuing Care Retirement Community — Live in a community that provides evolving services to meet your changing needs. It offers different levels of care and services based on what each resident needs over time. It can range from independent living in an apartment, to assisted living, to a nursing home. Residents may move within the complex based on their changing needs. Some require a down payment to provide care throughout the person’s life, while others offer a pay-as-you-go plan. .
	Home Care — Enjoy supportive services in the comfort of your own home. The services range from personal care and homemaker services to part-time nursing care and various types of therapy. .
	Home Delivered Meals — Enjoy low cost, hot, healthy meals delivered to your home. See also Meal Programs. .
	Home Health Care — Benefit from supportive medical services provided in your own home. The services include nursing care and various types of rehabilitation therapy. A doctor must certify that these services are medically necessary. .
	Homemaker Services — Get help in managing household tasks. These services include shopping, meal preparation, laundry, light cleaning, companion services and transportation assistance. .
	Home Medical Equipment — Live independently with the help of a range of products and technologies. Examples include special telephones for people with hearing impairments, walking aids, elevated toilet seats, communication devices, blood pressure monitors, specialized beds, etc. .
	Hospice Care — Should you become terminally ill, hospice care offers medical, social and spiritual support. It often includes counseling and support services for family members. Hospice care can be provided at home or in a special hospice facility. .
	Living Will — This is a written document stating a person’s wishes regarding life-support or other medical treatment under certain life-and-death circumstances. .
	Long Term Care Insurance — An insurance policy that covers all or some of the long term care services a person needs. It is typically purchased from insurance brokers, agents or associations. Premiums increase as you get older. .
	Meal Programs — Enjoy healthy, low-cost meals in the company of others. They may be provided in senior centers, community centers or schools. See also Home-Delivered Meals. .
	Nursing Home — If you need 24-hour skilled nursing care, you may need to live in a Skilled Nursing Facility. Services include a room, meals, personal care, social and recreational activities, therapy and medical care. .
	Personal Care — Get the help you need with personal tasks such as bathing, dressing, eating and other non-medical care. Someone without medical training usually provides this type of care in your home. .
	Power of Attorney for Finances — This legal document gives the person you choose the power to make decisions about your finances and property when you are incapacitated and no longer able to do so yourself. .
	Power of Attorney for Health Care — This legal document gives the person you choose the power to make health care decisions for you when you are incapacitated and no longer able to do so yourself. .
	Residential Community Apartment Complex — See Assisted Living. .
	Respite Care — Temporary care to provide short-term relief to the family member or friend who regularly provides care. Respite care can be provided at home, in the community (e.g., Adult Day Service centers or special respite programs) or in an Assisted Living Facility. .
	Senior Center — This is a place in your community where you can enjoy a variety of social, recreational and educational activities. Some senior centers offer meal programs and/or fitness programs. .
	Skilled Nursing Facility — See Nursing Home. .
	Transportation — This service will get you to doctor visits, shops, group outings and leisure activities. Some transportation services have eligibility requirements, such as age or income.