Senior Living Terms

At the beginning of Ellen’s work term she was asked to keep a list of terms, words, and acronyms she learns that’s related to senior living and elder care.  Researching senior living can feel like drinking from a firehose with so much to learn.  Below is a list of terms, words, and acronyms Ellen learned while working with us.

Term/Word/Acronym	Meaning
Care pricing models
À la carte	A fee-for-service model. There is generally a base fee for the room and basic services, and any additional care and services are purchased individually, as needed.
All-inclusive	There is one set monthly price which covers all living expenses and care services.
Packages	A combination of à la carte and all-inclusive pricing in which levels of care fees are bundled into distinct packages.
Care levels in Retirement Homes
Independent Living	Generally designed for older adults who need little to no assistance with daily tasks but want a maintenance-free lifestyle, which includes meals, social activities, and some housekeeping.
Independent Supportive Living	Residents are mainly Independent but require a small amount of support (e.g. medication management).
Assisted Living	Offers some help with everyday tasks but not intensive, 24/7 care.
Memory Care	Dedicated, secure units for individuals with Alzheimer’s or dementia, providing specialized programming, secured surroundings to prevent wandering, and staff trained in cognitive care.
Enhanced Care	A comprehensive level of medical and personal support designed for individuals with high-density, complex needs who require continuous, 24/7 supervision or intensive medical monitoring.
Respite Care	Generally an all-inclusive, short-term residential stay, usually ranging from a week to a few months, for the purpose of caregiver relief, convalescence after surgery or medical event, or a trial stay.
Seniors Apartments	Traditional rental apartments designed exclusively for older adults, serving as a step down from a full retirement home by stripping away mandatory care and dining packages.
General Terms
Activities of Daily Living (ADL)	The essential, basic self-care tasks that a person needs to do every day to live independently: bathing, dressing, eating, transferring, toileting, continence.
Alternate Level of Care (ALC)	A term used in hospitals referring to patients who occupy a bed but do not require the intensity of services provided in that care setting, and are waiting to be discharged to an appropriate setting such as long-term care or home care.
Ambulation	Medical term for the physical ability to walk and move around independently from one place to another, with or without assistive devices (e.g. crutches, cane, walker).
Care Home Information Package (CHIP)	A mandatory document in Ontario that landlords must provide before a tenant signs a tenancy agreement in a care home, outlining services, costs, staffing, and safety.
Cluster care	A model of care provided in buildings such as retirement homes where the goal is to provide consistent care for residents by assigning one or more Personal Support Workers, who work for the same home care organization, to deliver care to all eligible clients living in the building.
Cueing	Cueing in dementia care refers to using physical, visual, or verbal prompts to help a person living with dementia complete daily tasks, communicate, or navigate their surroundings. It serves as a gentle “nudge” that taps into muscle memory and preserves independence.
Dementia	An umbrella term for a decline in mental ability severe enough to interfere with daily life. It is not a single disease, but rather a collection of symptoms caused by various underlying brain disorders, affecting memory, reasoning, communication, and behavior.
Exit seeking	Exit-seeking in dementia is the dangerous behavior of trying to leave a safe space without a clear destination, driven by confusion, boredom, unmet needs (like hunger or pain), or the urge to “go home”.
Expressions	In dementia, “expressions” refer to any communication such as words, physical actions, body language, or facial changes. As verbal skills decline, these expressions become the primary way individuals living with dementia communicate their unmet needs, feelings (like pain, fear, or joy), and preferences.
Frailty	Frailty is a medical state of increased vulnerability and diminished physiological reserve. It occurs when multiple body systems decline, making a person less able to recover from minor stressors like illness or injury.
G-tube feeding	A G-tube (gastrostomy tube) is a medical device inserted directly through the abdomen into the stomach. It is used to provide essential nutrition, hydration, and medications to individuals who cannot safely swallow or eat enough food by mouth.
Gentle Persuasive Approach (GPA)	Gentle Persuasive Approach is a dementia care curriculum designed primarily for healthcare professionals and care partners, which emphasizes person-centered care, deep emotional connection, and safe, respectful physical redirection rather than restraint or forceful confrontation.
Hoyer lift	A Hoyer lift is a mechanical assistive device used to safely transfer individuals with limited mobility between beds, wheelchairs, toilets, and chairs. It utilizes a supportive fabric sling and a hydraulic or battery-powered lifting arm, significantly reducing the physical strain on caregivers and lowering the risk of patient falls.
Long-Term Care (LTC)	A long-term care home is a provincially subsidized care home for people who are at least 18 years of age, who no longer have the capabilities, or sufficient support to live independently. A long-term care home may also be referred to as a nursing home.
Ontario Health at Home (OHaH)	A single Provincial organization coordinating local home and community care, long-term care placement and help finding services in the community.
Palliative Care	Palliative care supports people who are living with a life-threatening illness, condition, or health situation, treating the whole person and their family and not just the disease, condition, or body part.
Person-centered care	Person-centred care is an approach to healthcare that puts the individual, not the medical diagnosis, at the heart of their own care, focusing on the person’s goals, values, and preferences.
Personal Support Worker (PSW)	A Personal Support Worker provides compassionate, front-line care and companionship to the elderly, chronically ill, or disabled. They assist with daily living activities such as bathing, dressing, meal preparation, and medication reminders.
Power of Attorney	A Power of Attorney is a legal document that allows someone (the principal) to appoint a trusted person (the agent or “attorney”) to make decisions or act on their behalf regarding financial, legal, or medical matters.
Retirement home	Retirement homes are private residences that offer housing to seniors, as well as other services that may include providing meals, assistance with bathing, feeding, and dressing, dementia care programs, and more. Retirement homes in Ontario are regulated by the Retirement Homes Regulatory Authority (RHRA).
Retirement Homes Regulatory Authority (RHRA)	An independent body which regulates all retirement homes in Ontario. The RHRA enforces care and safety standards and supports the rights of residents through licensing, conducting inspections, and investigating complaints.
Sandwich years	The “sandwich years” (or Sandwich Generation) refer to a phase in adulthood, typically between ages 40 and 60, when individuals are simultaneously “sandwiched” between caring for dependent children and their aging parents.
Secure floor	A specialized, enclosed residential living space within a care home or assisted living facility designed to prevent wandering while providing 24/7 supervision and dementia-friendly safety adaptations.
Sundowning	The term “sundowning” refers to a state of confusion that occurs in some people with dementia in the late afternoon and lasts into the night. Sundowning can cause various behaviors, such as confusion, anxiety, aggression or ignoring directions. Sundowning also can lead to pacing or wandering.