Gray Area: Aging-related terms to know

Activities of daily living (ADL): the basic self-care tasks of everyday life, including bathing, dressing, using the toilet. A loss of ADLs often means the need for in-home help or relocation to an assisted living or nursing facility.

Adult day care: centers that provide activities for people with dementia and other chronic illnesses, and provide respite for caregivers.

Aging in place: ability to live in one's own community for as long as possible. Includes homes and communities designed to be more senior-friendly. Also refers to CCRCs (see below).

Assisted living (AL): residences that offer monitoring and assistance with ADLs. Less restrictive than a skilled nursing facility, there are two levels of "assistance." In an AL1, an individual must be able to get out on his or her own in case of fire; in AL2, one helper is allowed. Utah's ALs range in size from a few beds to more than 100. Some include locked Alzheimer's units. Most are private pay.

Capacity: the ability to make responsible decisions; used to determine whether a guardian can be appointed.

CCRC (continuing care retirement community): campuses that include independent living, assisted living and skilled nursing care, so that a person can move from one housing choice to another within the same community, as his or her needs change.

Geriatric care manager: a specialist in aging issues who assesses a senior's financial, physical and social needs, and coordinates assistance, to help the person remain as independent as possible.

Geriatrician: a physician who specializes in caring for elderly patients.

Gerontologist: a non-medical specialist in issues of aging.

Independent living residence: senior apartments and communities for those who don't need help with ADLs.

Long-term care (LTC) insurance: Policies vary; typically pays for long-term ADL help, visiting nurses, adult day care, long-term nursing home care (usually not covered by Medicare or ordinary health insurance policies).

NORC (naturally occurring retirement communities): neighborhoods where many of the residents have aged in place.

New Choices waiver: Medicaid program that allows qualified applicants to move out of a nursing home into AL. Goal is to save money and relocate people to the least restrictive environment.

Personal home care aide: Workers hired to provide ADL care. Some are CNAs (certified nursing assistants); most are not. There is no standardized training for non-CNAs.

Skilled nursing facility (nursing home): for residents in need of significant nursing care; must have a licensed nurse on duty 24 hours a day. In Utah, most nursing home residents are paid for by Medicaid.