GLOSSARY OF TERMS

No matter what the circumstances, the following Glossary of Terms may be helpful in understanding a few of the basic differences in the various housing and care options, especially the newer ones. Please feel free to call New Horizons' executive director, Robert (Bob) O'Connor in Marlborough (508-460-5000), or Jed Geyerhahn in Woburn at (781-932-8000) for help with any questions.

Adult Day Health Program - Program providing supervision, recreation and health care services during the day to older people to better allow family caregivers to work or attend to other responsibilities on a daily basis only. Several couples among those living at New Horizons in Marlborough have successfully combined the Alzheimer's health care on-campus for the daytime use of one spouse.

Alzheimer's Care - Usually indicates an assisted living residence or nursing facility with either separate units and/or a program geared to residents with Alzheimer's disease or other cognitive impairments. Such programs usually feature very specially designed and secure environments, structured activity programs and greater staff-to-resident ratios. Such facilities are often associated as part of the continuum of care arrangements at an independent/assisted living facility or a CCRC.

Apartment Living for Seniors - The most independent aspect of community residences in which individuals are capable of maintaining daily routines relative to homemaking and personal care. Apartment living frees the senior from any property maintenance obligations and provides a neighborhood of peers for active socialization.

Assisted Living - A housing option for older adults who need some assistance with activities of daily living such as dressing, eating, bathing, ambulating or toileting, but do not require 24-hour nursing care. They are still able to live independently with some assistance.

Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) - A residential community for older adults that combines some form of independent retirement living, plus assisted living and some degree of nursing care, usually on one campus. Communities like New Horizons offer various levels of living accomodations on the same campus, greatly facilitating easy transfers from one part of the facility to another as residents' needs change.

Home Care Services - Services provided to individuals in their own living environment, such as homemaker services (cooking, cleaning, washing), home health care (activities of daily living - bathing, dressing, ambulating, toileting, eating), physical, occupational, and speech therapy, and medically necessary procedures done at home.

Independent Full-Service Retirement Living - A living arrangement in residential apartments where elders share common space, but are able to maintain their independence with little or no assistance. Better facilities typically provide three meals daily for all residents, plus utilities, some transportation, housekeeping, etc., as well as standby assistance, if needed, and a wide variety of social activities.

Medicaid - A state and federal health insurance program providing health care coverage for individuals with limited incomes or who have been impoverished by medical expenses.

Medicare - A federal health insurance program providing health care coverage for the elderly and disabled.

Public Housing - Typically an independent living community that is federally-funded (HUD funded) or state funded, with asset limits and run by the housing authority in a city or town.

Residential Care Facility - A facility licensed by the Massachusetts State Department of Public Health to provide supervision for individuals who do not routinely require nursing or medical care. Also known as a rest home.

Respite Care - Short-term placement for individuals in facilities that enable relatives caring for them at home to take some time off from their caregiving responsibilities. This can often work very well in an independent and/or assisted community on a trial period, which may become longer term. New Horizons in Marlborough offers respite care enrollments.

Skilled Nursing Care - Refers to the type of daily nursing and rehabilitative care that can be performed only by, or under the supervision of, skilled licensed medical personnel.

Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF)- Facility providing 24-hour nursing care, rehabilitative services, and assistance with activities of daily living to the aged or chronically ill as well as those who have been hospitalized for an illness or operation and require a short period of rehabilitation before returning home. Although New Horizons in Marlboro maintains at least one Registered Nurse on-duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week, it does not have an on-site nursing home component.