Definitions

Glossary of Terms and Definitions

Please select from the menu above

  • AAA

    see Area Agency on Aging

  • Account

    An account is comprised of a user’s profile information as well as all the information surrounding the efficient administration of the caregiving process.  This includes all the “back office” features of messaging, notifications, alerts, requests, billing, payroll, scheduling, accounting, resources, and data collection used in the management of a user’s account. For Careseekers, it also includes your Care-Circle members and Health Care Service Providers.

  • Account Menu

    Your account menu is a navigation tool that allows a use to not only modify their profile and log in information, but to access all the features in their account including messages, calendar, scheduling, Careseeker / Caregiver listings, healthcare services, and other options.  You can access this menu by clicking on the account Menu button on the navigation bar or by clicking on any icon on the left side of your account page.

  • Action Item

    Your navigation bar contains a status bar with icons that  alert you to actions or responses and offer shortcuts to those items needing attention.  These icons serve as notifications of conditions that have changed in your account.  Clicking on these icons takes you to a specific “action item” page within your account.

  • Activities of Daily Living

    Everyday functions and activities that people usually do without help. These include dressing, eating, bathing, toileting, transferring and continence. Many insurance policies use the inability to perform a certain number of activities (such as 2 of 6) to determine eligibility for benefits.

  • ADLs

    See Activities of Daily Living

  • Adult Day Care

    Adult Day Care Centers offer social, recreational and health-related services to individuals in a protective setting who cannot be left alone during the day because of health care and social need, confusion or disability. This community-based care is designed to meet the needs of functionally and/or cognitively impaired adults who, for their own safety and well-being, can no longer be left at home alone during the day. Adult day care facilities such as senior or community centers offer protected settings which are normally open weekdays during business hours and include a mixture of health, social and support services. Specialized programs for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease or related disorders also exist. Some facilities offer a wide range of therapeutic and rehabilitative activities as well as social activities, meals, and transportation

  • Advance Directive for Health Care

    Prepared ahead of time, a health care advance directive is a written document that says how you want medical decisions to be made if you lose the ability to make decisions for yourself. A health care advance directive may include a Living Will, a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care or both.

  • Aging in Place

    The ability to live in one’s own home and community safely, independently, and comfortably, regardless of age, income, or ability level. Most adults would prefer to remain in their home of choice as long as possible. In fact, 90 percent of adults over the age of 65 report that they would prefer to stay in their current residence as they age.  As of 2015, one-third of American households are home to one or more residents 60 years of age or older.

  • ALF

    see Assisted Living Facility

  • Alzheimer’s Disease

    A progressive, degenerative form of dementia that affects brain functions, causing loss of short-term memory, the ability to reason, the ability to care for oneself and deterioration of language skills. While Alzheimer’s is currently not curable, several new medications can slow the rate of degeneration for many people.

  • Area Agency on Aging

    A nationwide network of State and local programs that help older people plan and care for their life-long needs. Services include information and referral for in-home services, counseling, legal services, adult day care, skilled nursing care/therapy, transportation, personal care, respite care, nutrition and meals.

  • Assisted Living Facility

    A facility that combines housing and supportive services for elders. Services include assistance with personal care, such as medication management, bathing, dressing and ambulating, and may include laundry, housekeeping, transportation, and social activities. The types and sizes of facilities vary from a small home to a large apartment-style complex; individual units range from single rooms to multi-bedroom apartments. They also vary in the levels of care and services that can be provided. Assisted living facilities offer a way to maintain a relatively independent lifestyle and more privacy for people who don’t need the level of care provided by nursing homes. In most cases, assisted living residents pay a regular monthly rent for room and board, plus additional fees for the services they receive.

  • Assisting with Medication Self-administration

    Assisting with medication self-administration is where a caregiver can aid an individual who is capable of knowing which medications to take but needs some help in taking their medications.  There are specific abilities a caregiver must be able to perform and include:

    • Ability to read and understand a prescription label.
    • Ability to assist with oral (mouth), topical (skin), ophthalmic (eye), otic (ear) nasal (nose), and inhaled forms of medications.
    • Be able to measure liquid medications, break scored tablets, or crush tablets as directed.
    • Be able to recognize when to clarify an “as needed” prescription order.
    • Recognize an order that requires judgment or discretion.
    • Safely store medications.
    • Complete a medication observation record or other required documentation.
    • Recognize general signs of adverse reactions to medications and report such reactions.
  • Bathing

    One of the activities of daily living. Washing oneself by sponge bath, taking a shower, or taking a bath in a tub. This activity includes the task of getting into or out of the tub or shower.

  • Beneficiary

    A person who is entitled to receive the benefits or proceeds of a will, trust, insurance policy, retirement plan, annuity or other contract. Someone covered by Medicare is also called a beneficiary.

  • Board and Care Home

    A small to medium-sized group residence that provides residents with a private or shared room, and meals. These homes offer some assistance with activities of daily living, but not skilled nursing.

  • Care Administrator

    The person who created an account for a family member, or friend, becomes the Care Administrator for that Careseeker. The Care Administrator manages all aspects of care for the Careseeker and can add and remove family and friends from the Care-Circle. The roll of Care Administrator can be reassigned to another person in the Care View at any time. Other non-administrative members of the Care Circle can log into the Keep Safe Care Direct system to review and be informed of services provided to the Careseeker.

  • Care Circle

    A Care Circle is comprised of the members of a Careseeker’s family, friends or guardians who have permission to access the account under their own log in. There can add up to 10 individuals who are kept up to date of a Careseeker’s caregiving status.

  • Care Plan

    The written plan that describes the services and care a Careseeker’s needs for their health condition. Sometimes, a Care Plan must be prepared or approved by your doctor.  a Careseeker Care Plan are loaded online. See also Plan of Care

  • Care-Pair

    A Care-Pair is when a Careseeker hires a Caregiver through the Keep Safe Care system.

  • Care-Pair Hours

    Care-Pair hours are the hours that a Caregiver works for a Careseeker.

  • Caregiver

    A generic term referring to the person hired who helps a Careseeker with the activities of daily living, homemaker services, health care, financial matters, guidance, companionship and social interaction. A Caregiver can provide more than one aspect of care and most of the Caregivers on our site are Home Health Aides. Also see Home Health Aide

  • Caregiving

    Caregiving is the act of providing paid assistance and support to a careseeker who has physical, psychological, or developmental needs. Caring for others generally takes on three forms: instrumental (tasks), emotional, and informational caring.

  • Caregiving

    Caregiving is the act of providing paid assistance and support to a careseeker who has physical, psychological, or developmental needs. Caring for others generally takes on three forms: instrumental (tasks), emotional, and informational caring.

  • Careseeker

    A Careseeker is the individual who will be receiving care from a Caregiver. While a spouse, adult child, or parent may be the one who is looking for a Caregiver, when “Careseeker” is used on our website, it means the person receiving care and the one you create an account for.

  • Case Manager

    Case managers work with family members and older adults to assess, arrange and evaluate supportive efforts of seniors and their families to remain independent.

  • Catheter

    A medical devise used to control urinary incontinence using a receptacle bag.

  • CCRCs

    see Continuing Care Retirement Communities

  • Certified Nurse Assistant

    A certified nursing assistant, or CNA, helps patients or clients with healthcare needs under the supervision of a Registered Nurse (RN) or a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN).  Nursing assistants can work in a wide variety of settings; nursing homes, hospitals, adult day care centers, personal homes and assisted living facilities all require nursing assistants to act as a helpful liaison between the RN or LPN and the patient. In many cases, the nursing assistant serves as the RN’s or LPN’s eyes and ears, and relays information between many patients and one or two RNs.

  • CHAMPUS

    see Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services

  • Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services

    Auxiliary medical services for active military/veterans and their dependents.

  • CNA

    See Certified Nurse Assistant

  • Colostomy

    The surgically created opening of the colon (large intestine) which results in a stoma. A colostomy is created when a portion of the colon or the rectum is removed and the remaining colon is brought to the abdominal wall. It may further be defined by the portion of the colon involved and/or its permanence.

  • Colostomy Bag

    A colostomy bag is a prosthetic medical device that provides a means for the collection of waste from a surgically diverted biological system (colon, ileum, bladder) and the creation of a stoma. Pouching systems are most commonly associated with colostomies, ileostomies, and urostomies.

  • Companion Care

    See Custodial Care

  • Continence

    One of the activities of daily living . The ability to maintain control of bowel and bladder function. Or, when unable to maintain control these functions, the ability to perform associated personal hygiene (including caring for catheter or colostomy bag).

  • Continuing Care Retirement Communities

    An alternative housing option designed to accommodate the needs of elders who can no longer live alone. CCRCs offer a full continuum of care, ranging from fully independent units, to assistance with personal care in assisted living apartments, to long-term care in a skilled nursing facility.

  • CRM

    See Customer Relationship Management

  • Custodial Care

    A type of home care service that provides non-clinical care to assist elders’ activities of daily living such as walking, getting in and out of bed, bathing, dressing, eating, toileting, and taking medicine; and to assure safety in the home. Often the terms  “non-medical care” or “companion care” are used to describe custodial care.

  • Customer Relationship Management

    Customer relationship management (CRM) is the software used to manage and analyze Careseeker and Caregiver interactions and data throughout our client’s lifecycle, with the goal of improving the relationships with clients, assisting in customer retention and driving sales growth. CRM systems can also give our Nurse Care-Pair Managers detailed information on customers’ personal information, plan of care, care-pair interactions and concerns.

  • Daily Benefit

    The insurance benefit amount that a person selects as the basis for their long term care insurance. However, the daily benefit may not be the actual amount paid for each day an insured person is eligible for a benefit. There are three different methods of computing benefits; but, each insurance policy will use only one of them.

  • Dementia

    Deterioration of intellectual abilities (e.g., vocabulary, abstract thinking, judgment, memory loss, physical coordination), the loss of which interferes with daily activities. Dementia can be caused by degenerative diseases (e.g., Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s and Parkinson’s diseases), vascular diseases or stroke, metabolic disorders (thyroid, liver kidney dysfunction and certain vitamin deficiencies), AIDS, drugs and alcohol, and psychiatric disorders. Some dementias may respond to treatments, others do not.

  • Discharge Planner

    A social worker or other health care professional who assists hospital patients and their families in transitioning from the hospital to another level of care such as rehabilitation in a skilled nursing facility, home health care in the patient’s home, or long term care in a nursing home.

  • Dispute

    As part of the payment process, you are given 3 days to request your Caregiver to make corrections to the hours worked for that week. If you believe your invoice is in error, first contact the Caregiver and ask them to change their hours. The Caregiver can go into their account and do this and forward a new invoice to you. If your Caregiver does not make the requested changes by Tuesday of the week of payment, you may place a weekly payment “In Dispute” until the changes are made. Payment will not be made until a new receipt is sent which you then accept.

  • Domestic Worker

    A domestic worker, also known as a household employee, is any person who works (hired and paid) within the employer’s household. Domestic workers perform a variety of household services for an individual or a family, from providing care for children and elderly dependents to housekeeping, including cleaning and household maintenance. Other responsibilities may include cooking, laundry and ironing, shopping for food and undertaking other household errands (see activities of daily living).

  • Dressing

    An important activity of daily living. Putting on and taking off all items of clothing and any necessary braces, fasteners or artificial limbs.

  • Durable Power of Attorney

    A document that grants a person(s) the legal powers to perform on behalf of the Grantor certain specified acts and functions, related to real estate, banking and financial transactions, personal and family maintenance, and government benefits, among others. This power is effective immediately and continues to be effective even if the Grantor becomes disabled or incompetent. See also Power of Attorney

  • Eating

    One of the vital activities of daily living.  Feeding oneself by getting food into the body from a receptacle (such as a plate, cup or table). It does not include preparation of meals.

  • EIN

    See Employer Identification Number

  • Elder at Risk (EAR) Program

    Program providing casework services to elders that allow them to safely remain in their own community when they can no longer meet their own needs for food, clothing, shelter, personal care, or medical care due to physical and/or mental impairments, substance abuse, or other serious problems.

  • Elder Care

    A wide range of services provided at home, in the community and in residential care facilities, including assisted living facilities and nursing homes. It includes health-related services such as rehabilitative therapies, skilled nursing, and palliative care, as well as supervision and a wide range of supportive personal care and social services. Typically, elder care is provided over an extended period of time to people who need another person’s assistance to perform normal activities of daily living because of cognitive impairment or loss of muscular strength or control. Regardless of where it is provided, most elder care is custodial care, the type of care that is not paid for by Medicare.

  • Employer Identification Number

    When you hire your own Caregiver, you are the employer of record and must have an EIN (Employer Identification Number) on file. This is necessary when your payroll tax obligations become due.  Getting an EIN is a simple, free online process via the IRS and you can access this link at: Apply for EIN.

  • Employer of Record

    A company or organization or individual (Careseeker) that is legally responsible for paying employees, in this case your Caregiver, The Employer of Record, often referred to as the W-2 Employer of Record because they are responsible for issuing W-2s to the employee, shoulders the responsibility for all the traditional employment tasks and liabilities, including dealing with employee taxes. As the Employer of Record, WBC will be issuing payroll checks for you and generating your end of year W-2s and Schedule H for each and every Caregiver you have hired. You, as the Employer of Record, are responsible for submitting local, state, and federal payroll taxes.

  • Favorite (Caregiver)

    If you are a Careseeker, you can add any Caregiver as a favorite by clicking on their name to view their profile and then clicking the ‘Add as Favorite” link on their profile page. Once a Caregiver is favorited, you can un-favorite them by clicking on their ‘favorite’ star.

  • Fiduciary

    Someone, such as a trustee or guardian, who holds the assets of another person, often with the legal authority and duty to make decisions regarding financial matters on behalf of the other party.  See also Durable Power of Attorney

  • Geriatric Care

    See Elder Care

  • Geriatrician

    A physician who specializes in the care of the elderly, primarily those who are frail and have complex medical and social problems.

  • Guardianship

    A legal process by which a probate court appoints one or more individuals to handle the personal and financial affairs of a minor or person of any age the court determines to be mentally incompetent. Most Stares have agencies to provide Guardianship services to elders who have been abused and/or who a court has determined to be at risk or harm, and to lack decision-making capacity.

  • Hands-On Assistance

    Physical assistance without which an individual would not be able to perform any activities of daily living.

  • HCSM

    see Health Care Service Members

  • Health Care Service Members

    These are the health care individuals you add to your account to be notified in case of significant change in condition. Including, individuals such as your doctor, hospital social worker, geriatric care manager, home health agency contact, pharmacist, cardiologist, etc. These individuals are added by you when you click on the “Healthcare Services” link on your Menu button.

  • HHA

    see Home Health Agency

  • Home Care

    Home care represents a wide range of private and community-based services that support an aging relative so they can live independently and safely in their own home. Home care is often used when recuperating from an acute situation, such as a hip fracture, or for persons with on-going chronic conditions, such as stroke, long-term weakness or just aging. The skills and duties of a person performing the duties vary. You may want a companion, a Certified Nurse Assistant or just a driver.

  • Home Health Agency

    A public or private agency that specializes in providing skilled nursing services, home health aides, and other therapeutic services, such as physical therapy, in the home.

  • Home Health Aide

    An individuals who provides non-medical health care to people at home. Training or certification requirements vary from state-to-state, but typical services include assistance with activities of daily living, medication management, and some household tasks. In some states, only licensed home health aides can provide hands-on assistance.

  • Home Health Care

    Health care services provided in the home by a home health agency on a part-time basis for the treatment of an illness or injury, and covered by Medicare only if skilled care is needed and required on an intermittent or part-time basis. Supportive services in the home ranging from skilled nursing care and occupational therapy, physical therapy, respiratory therapy and speech therapy to assistance with activities of daily living and housekeeping. This support allows many older people to remain in their own homes.

  • Homemaker Services

    Household services done by someone other than yourself because you are unable to do them. These services can include shopping, laundry, light cleaning, meal preparation and transportation assistance. Homemakers cannot provide hands-on care in most states.

  • Hospice

    A public or private organization that provides pain relief, symptom management, and supportive services to terminally ill people and their families in the home or in a separate hospice facility. Hospice services are designed to assist a patient and family through the end of life and 13 months following. Hospice with palliative care services involves keeping one comfortable, medications, equipment and counseling; but does not try to cure any illness.

  • Household Employee

    An individual who is paid to provide a service within a residence and who you pay directly. Examples include babysitters, nannies, caregivers and housekeepers.

  • Household Employer’s Tax Guide

    Also know as Publication 926, this publication applies to you only if you have a household employee. If you have a household employee in any calendar year, you may need to pay state and federal employment taxes for that year. You generally must add your federal employment taxes to the income tax that you will report on your 2016 federal income tax return.

    If you have hired a Caregiver through our site, you have a household employee and, will most likely need to pay federal employment taxes (social security tax, Medicare tax, FUTA, and federal income tax withholding). It explains how to figure, pay, and report these taxes for your household employee. It also explains what records you need to keep.

    This publication also tells you where to find out whether you need to pay state unemployment tax for your household employee.

  • Job Post

    When a Careseeker account is created, a job is automatically posted. To post a new or additional job or to modify an existing post, go to your account Menu and look for the “Job Post / Replies” link. It will take you to a page where there is a ‘Post Job’ Button. Click on the ‘Post Job’ button and a new job will be created using your profile information.

  • Joint Account

    This is an account where two (or more) people live in the same domicile and are being cared for by the same Caregiver at the same time. Joint Accounts need to be set up manually.

  • Licensed Health Care Practitioner

    A physician (as defined by the Social Security Act) or a registered professional nurse, licensed social worker, or any other health care worker who meets the requirements of the U.S. Treasury Department.

  • Live-In Care

    Also referred to as live-in home care, live-in care refers to care provided by a Caregiver around the clock and who spends the night with the Careseeker, but is able to sleep during the night. Although the Caregiver’s sleep may need to be interrupted at night to assist with a possible bathroom visit or another need for the client, they are guaranteed adequate nightly sleep and down-time each evening. For safety concerns, live-in care is not right for everyone.  If a Careseeker is not able to call for help during the night, a live-in Caregiver is not appropriate, since the Caregiver may be sleeping.  Instead you should hire a Caregiver for overnight care.

    The Caregiver also prepares and shares in the meals with the Careseeker. The Caregiver does not actually “move-in” and live with the client. The Caregiver is typically given a designated amount of time off each week and month (i.e., one weekend each month or longer). Upon taking time off from their assignment, a replacement or “fill-in” live-in Caregiver is provided to cover the assignment until the primary Caregiver returns.

  • Living Trust

    A trust created during someone’s lifetime to hold assets during that person’s lifetime, thereby removing those assets from probate at death. A living trust can be either revocable or irrevocable. It avoids probate and therefore gets assets distributed significantly faster than a will. Assets that a person wants to move to a living trust, such as real estate and bank or brokerage accounts, must be retitled so that the trust becomes the owner. For more information, visit How Living Trusts Avoid Probate.

  • Living Wage

    A living wage is which is “high enough” to allow workers to meet basic needs. The living wage level is usually the wage a full-time worker would need to earn to support a family above federal poverty line, ranging from 100% to 130% of the poverty measurement.

  • Living Will

    A legal document in which a person specifies which life-prolonging medical measures he or she does, and does not, want to be taken if he or she becomes terminally ill or incapacitated.

  • Long Term Care

    A variety of services provided over an extended period of time to people who need help to perform normal activities of daily living because of cognitive impairment or loss of muscular strength or control. Care may include rehabilitative therapies, skilled nursing, and palliative care, as well as supervision and a wide range of supportive personal care and social services. It may also include training to help older people adjust to or overcome many of the limitations that often come with aging. Long-term care can be provided at home, in the community, or in various types of facilities, including a nursing home or an assisted living facility. Regardless of where it is provided, most long-term care is custodial care, the type of care that is not paid for by Medicare.

  • Long Term Care Insurance

    An insurance policy that helps pay for some long-term medical and non-medical care, like help with activities of daily living. Because Medicare generally does not pay for long-term care, this type of insurance policy may help pay for long-term care that you may need in the future.

  • Meals on Wheels

    Local agencies provide low cost, hot, nourishing meals to the elderly and disabled, allowing frail, home-bound people to remain in their own homes. To find a local program near you or your loved one, click on Meals on Wheels; once at their Web site, click on Search for a Program. You’ll find the names, addresses and phone numbers of over 3,200 local programs listed by state.

  • Medicaid

    The health insurance program for low income and elderly Americans. It is financed by the federal and state governments and is the primary means of payment for nursing home services in the United States.

  • Medical Power of Attorney

    A written legal document in which one person (the principal) appoints another person to make health care decisions on behalf of the principal in the event the principal becomes incapacitated (the document defines incapacitation). This instrument can contain instructions about specific medical treatment that should be applied or withheld. While its purpose remains essentially the same from state-to-state, the name of this document can vary; for example, in Florida it is called an Appointment of Health Care Surrogate. Here are two (2) helpful articles: Medical and Financial Powers of Attorney and Helping a Loved One Make a Power of Attorney.

  • Medicare

    The federal program that provides hospital and medical care to people age 65 or older, and to some younger people who are very ill or disabled. Benefits for nursing home and short-term home health services are limited and are generally available only to people while they are recovering from an acute illness. Coverage is restricted to medical care, and does not include custodial care at home or in nursing homes.

  • Medication Management

    Medication management is a set of practices to prevent the risks associated with taking a variety medications, missing medications, or taking the incorrect dosages.  As individuals age, multiple chronic conditions may occur, which could require several prescription drugs from more than one clinician, which increases the risk of drug interactions, side effects, and accidentally missing or doubling doses. A caregiver trained in medication management will be aware of these risks and be trained in medication administration.

  • Medigap

    A type of health insurance elders can purchase to supplement their health benefits under Medicare and bridge the gap between what Medicare pays and what clinical care and prescription drugs actually cost.

  • Mentor

    An experienced and trusted advisor. An experienced person in an organization or institution who trains and counsels new employees or students.

  • Mentoring

    The process whereby a senior employee, professional or individual takes an active role in developing a junior colleague. Typically this occurs at managerial level or amongst professions. The mentor provides advice on how the mentee can develop his or her skills, competencies, knowledge, and experience in order to progress along a successful career path. As well as giving advice, the mentor might also prove useful in providing contacts that help the mentee to engage in the process of networking.

  • Messages

    Messages are generated internally through the Well Beyond Care notification system. If you have any pending messages to be read, you will see a heart with a number inside it on the Messages icon on your status bar. The number indicates how many new or unread messages you have. In order to read a message, click the Message icon (an envelope). You will then see a listing of your messages. Unread messages are highlighted. Just click on the message you are interesting in viewing and a dialog box will open up displaying the message. You can reply to that message in that dialog box.

  • Nanny Tax

    When you hire someone to work in your home, like a Caregiver, the government considers you an employer. As the employer of record you are responsible for paying employment taxes. These employment taxes are commonly known as “nanny taxes” although they do not only apply to nannies. They are for anyone working in your home, also known as a domestic worker or household employee. There are two components of nanny taxes: what the employer has to contribute and the employee withholding.

    The employer contribution includes Social Security, Medicare, federal unemployment and state unemployment taxes. The employee withholding includes Social Security and Medicare and possibly federal, state and city income taxes. Well Beyond Care facilitates  the withholdings that are necessary to be in compliance with Federal and State tax requirements as part of its payroll service.

    (for more tax information and assistance, click on the Tax Info tab above)

  • Navigation Panel

    The navigation panel is the blue section on the left-hand of your account pages and includes links to navigate to your Account Home Page, Schedule, Finances, Profile, and Messages sections. There is also a “Need Help” button which also includes a link to FAQ.

  • New Moonlighters

    Phrase coined to designate elder caregivers who work outside the home because they have two jobs: one in the workplace, and one at home, caring for older family members.

  • Non-Medical Care

    See Custodial Care

  • Non-medical Health Care

    See Home Health Aide and Caregiver

  • Notifications

    A notification is when there is an “action item” you may have to attend to, and is indicated when you see one of your status icons highlighted with a red heart and a number inside.   This usually happens when you have a new message, new caregiver / client, interview request, job response, or care plan action.

  • Nursing Home

    A state-licensed residential facility that provides a room, meals, help with activities of daily living, recreation, and general nursing care to people who are chronically ill or unable to take care of their daily living needs. It may also be called a Long Term Care Facility. If it has been certified as such by Medicare, it is also referred to as a Skilled Nursing Facility.

  • Occupational Therapist

    A rehabilitation professional who teaches people to compensate for functional limitations as a result of an injury, illness or disability by learning skills and techniques needed to perform activities of daily living and optimize independence.

  • Ostomy

    The terms ostomy and stoma are general descriptive terms that are often used interchangeably though they have different meanings. An ostomy refers to the surgically created opening in the body for the discharge of body wastes. A stoma is the actual end of the ureter or small or large bowel that can be seen protruding through the abdominal wall.

  • Overnight Care

    The situation that a Caregiver is awake and is attending to the needs of the Careseeker. Overnight stays can be from 6 hours to 12 hour. This is not to be confused with live-in care where a Caregiver is allowed to sleep overnight, but if called, will assist a Careseeker.

  • PACE

    See Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly

  • Palliative Care

    Palliative care is a multidisciplinary approach to specialized medical care for people with serious illnesses. It focuses on providing patients with relief from the symptoms, pain, physical stress, and mental stress of a serious illness—whatever the diagnosis. The goal of such therapy is to improve quality of life for both the patient and the family. Palliative care is provided by a team of physicians, nurses, and other health professionals who work together with the primary care physician and referred specialists (or, for patients who do not have those, hospital or hospice staff) to provide an extra layer of support.

  • Pay Period

    The work week is from Sunday midnight to the following Saturday 11:59:59 PM. The previous Caregiver’s work week hours are sent to the Careseeker for review (indicating the hours worked, the rate, and deductions taken for the week) on early Sunday morning. At that time, the Company will authorize a payment for the amount due.

  • PCPM

    see Personal Care-Pair Manager

  • Personal Care

    See Custodial Care

  • Personal Care Assistant

    A personal care assistant, also known as caregiver, or personal care aide, is an individual who gives assistance to people who are sick, injured, mentally or physically disabled, elderly or fragile. They work in the home and help their careseekers with activities of daily living, such as bathing and bathroom functions, feeding, grooming, taking medication, and some housework. Personal care assistants help clients make and keep appointments with doctors, provide or arrange transportation, make and serve meals, make sure careseekers take their medicine and serve as a companion for their clients.

  • Personal Care-Pair Manager

    A Personal Care-Pair Manager is an individual who works with Keep Safe Care Direct and has experience within home care, geriatric care and/or hospice care. The minute you set up your account, you are assigned a Personal Care-Pair Manager to help you with your profile creation. They also offer advice on how to hire a Caregiver and what healthcare resources are available in your area.

  • Personal Emergency Response System

    In case of a fall or other medical emergency, this electronic device enables the user to contact help 24-hours-a-day simply by pressing a button. A number of private companies offer these systems.

  • Physical Therapist

    A rehabilitation professional who utilizes various therapies to help individuals maximize mobility, and restore strength and body movement after an illness or injury such as a stroke, fall, back injury, or other physical injury.

  • Plan of Care

    The written plan that describes the services and care you need for your health problem. Your plan of care must be prepared or approved by your doctor. See also Careseeker Care Plan

  • Power of Attorney

    A written legal document in which one person (the principal) appoints another person to manage the principal’s financial affairs. Even though the intent is that the power of attorney will not take effect until the principal becomes unable to handle his or her own affairs, it actually takes effect on the date it is signed, unless otherwise specified. And, unless otherwise specified, the durable financial power of attorney applies only to assets owned directly by the principal, and not to any assets transferred into a trust by the principal. Unlike an ordinary power of attorney, a durable power of attorney remains in effect even after the principal can no longer manage his or her own affairs. Here are two (2) helpful articles: Medical and Financial Powers of Attorney and Helping a Loved One Make a Power of Attorney. See also Durable Power of Attorney

  • Power of Attorney for Health Care

    See Medical Power of Attorney

  • Private Duty

    Private duty, also called private pay,  is a broad term of in-home care that means that a Careseeker or their family is paying for the care out of pocket, or in the case of seniors who need extended care and have long-term-health insurance, through their insurer.   Usually it involves custodial care, but  at times this care might be provided by a Certified Nurse Assistant, a nurse or another skilled professional, such as a physical therapist.  The duration of the care can be over a period of a few days up to many years, but is often requested by Careseekers who want to remain in the comfort of their own homes rather than in a assisted living facility or in a nursing home.

  • Private Duty Agency

    Also known as a Private Duty Home Care Agency, are companies or businesses that are licensed by the State they operate in to offer primarily custodial care in individual’s homes.  These agencies are called private duty or private pay because individuals pay out of pocket in most instances. By law, the Caregivers that are employees of these agencies are prohibited from performing duties such as medicine management, giving supplements, changing dressings (bandages), or cleaning catheters, to name a few.  Mostly, they are there to help a Careseeker with activities of daily living.  The vast majority of agencies are franchisees of a larger organization. The Caregivers are hired by the agency directly and are dispatched to Careseeker’s residences.  In many situations, the Careseeker has no choice in selection of the Caregiver, and often they may have two to three different Caregivers on any given week.  In addition, most Agencies require of minimum amount of care on any day or any visit, and usually require a Careseeker to guarantee a minimum amount of care per week or they charge a surcharge on top of the hourly rate.   In addition, the Private Duty Agency Industry has has a chronic problem dealing with Caregiver truancy or no-shows according to their own reporting.

  • Private Duty Home Care Agency

    See Private Duty Agency

  • Private Pay

    See Private Duty

  • Probate

    The process by which an executor (if there is a will), or a court-appointed administrator (if there is no will), manages and distributes a decedent’s property to heirs or beneficiaries.

  • Profile

    A profile is the specific information you enter into your account to help Well Beyond Care match you (if you are a Careseeker) with the best available Caregiver; or (if you are a Caregiver) help connect you with those seeking care.  A profile is the most important aspect in creating a user account and must be completed in total for the account to be considered active.

  • Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly

    A program that provides low-income frail elders with all of their health, medical, rehabilitation, social, and support services and health insurance for one monthly fee. It enables them to remain independent in their community and in their own homes.

  • Publication 926

    See also, Household Employer’s Tax Guide

    Follow this link to the IRS Publication.

  • Qualified Long-Term Care Services

    Defined by federal law, these are necessary diagnostic, preventive, therapeutic, curing, treating, mitigating, and rehabilitative services, and maintenance or personal care services, that are required by a chronically ill individual, and are provided pursuant to a plan of care prescribed by a licensed health care practitioner. Maintenance or personal care services means any care the primary purpose of which is to provide needed assistance with any of the disabilities as a result of which the individual is a chronically ill individual (including the protection from threats to health and safety due to severe cognitive impairment). See also Long Term Care

  • Registered Nurse

    A Registered Nurse (RN) is one of many different types of nurses. A registered nurse is a nurse who has completed at least an associate’s degree in nursing (ADN) or a bachelor of science degree in nursing (BSN) and has successfully passed the NCLEX-RN certification exam.

    After becoming an RN, some nurses go on to become an advanced practice RN (APRN) such as a Clinical Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA), Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) or other more highly specialized role.

    RNs can work in a medical office or a hospital, in a variety of medical specialties and areas.

  • Residential Care Facility

    A generic term for a group home, specialized apartment complex or other institution that provides care services where individuals live. The term is used to refer to a range of residential care options including a assisted living facility, board and care home and skilled nursing facility.

  • Respite Care

    Temporary or periodic care provided by a third party for people with disabilities, illnesses, dementia or other health problems while their usual family caregiver takes an occasional break from their caregiving responsibilities. Respite care can be provided at home, in the community (e.g., adult day care centers or special respite programs) or overnight in a facility such as a nursing home or assisted living facility.

  • Sandwich Generation

    Those sandwiched between aging parents who need care and/or help and their own children.

  • Schedule H

    A Schedule H is part of your end of hear Form 1040 Federal Tax filing for a household employee. A Schedule H is required for household employment taxes if you:

    • paid any one household employee cash wages of $1,800 or more during the calendar year,
    • withheld federal income tax during the calendar year for any household employee, or
    • paid total cash wages of $1,000 or more in any calendar quarter of the year or previous year to all household employees.
  • Senior Center

    Community-based programs that provide a variety of services that can include social activities, nutrition, and educational and recreational opportunities for older adults.

  • Sensory Disability

    A person with a disability that has any of the long-lasting conditions such as blindness, deafness, or a severe vision or hearing impairment.

  • Skilled Care

    Daily nursing and rehabilitative care that can be performed only by, or under the supervision of, skilled medical personnel. This care is usually needed 24 hours a day, must be ordered by a physician, and must follow a plan of care. Individuals usually get skilled care in a nursing home but may also receive it in other places.

  • Skilled Nursing

    Skilled care that must be given or supervised by Registered Nurses. Examples of skilled nursing care are intravenous injections, tube feeding, and changing sterile dressings on a wound. Any service that could be safely done by an average non-medical person without the supervision of a Registered Nurse is not consider skilled care.

  • Skilled Nursing Facility

    A nursing home providing services for residents whose general condition tends to be unstable, and requires close observation and care given by professional staff over a 24-hour period. Some skilled care is financed by Medicare; however, the majority must be covered by private funds or Medicaid. Some  Skilled Nursing Facilities have rehabilitation programs that help people maintain their ability to function or to readjust to limitations.

  • SNF

    see Skilled Nursing Facility

  • Social Work

    Social work is a broadly defined profession encompassing many different kinds of professionals who all serve people in need. The International Federation of Social Workers External link calls social work “an interrelated system of values, theory and practice.” Social workers are unique in the way that they look at many different aspects of a problem, from the individual to the societal, from the psychological to the political. Common ways of serving clients include providing counseling, therapy and education, as well as connecting clients to appropriate public or private resources. See Social Worker

  • Social Worker

    Social workers help people solve and cope with problems in their everyday lives. Clinical social workers also diagnose and treat mental, behavioral, and emotional issues. Social workers also advocate or raise awareness with and on behalf of their clients and the social work profession on local, state, and national levels.

    While there are many types of social workers, the ones involved with in home care are know as  Healthcare social workers. These individuals help patients understand their diagnosis and make the necessary adjustments to their lifestyle, housing, or healthcare. For example, they may help people make the transition from the hospital back to their homes and communities. In addition, they may provide information on services, such as home healthcare or support groups, to help patients manage their illness or disease. Social workers help doctors and other healthcare professionals understand the effects that diseases and illnesses have on patient’s mental and emotional health. Some healthcare social workers specialize in geriatric social work, hospice and palliative care, or medical social work. See Social Work

  • Special Needs

    Special needs have generally been identified through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Young children who have been diagnosed as having developmental delays, or any child who has been evaluated as having one of a limited list of disabilities specified in IDEA are considered as having special needs when they require special education and related services (20 U.S.C. 1401 and 34 C.F.R. §300.8).

  • Speech Therapist

    A rehabilitation professional who provides therapy to overcome speech and communication problems, such as speech difficulties following a stroke. A speech therapist may also provide assistance for managing swallowing problems.

  • Status Bar

    The status bar is a portion of your profile navigation bar that alerts you to certain status changes in your account.  This area is where you will find little icons on the red bar. When there are no notifications, the icons are dark. When there is an alert, the icon turns white and will have a numbered heart above it.  These icons can also be used as shortcuts to navigation to specific areas in your account when you click on them.

  • Stoma

    The terms ostomy and stoma are general descriptive terms that are often used interchangeably though they have different meanings. An ostomy refers to the surgically created opening in the body for the discharge of body wastes. A stoma is the actual end of the ureter or small or large bowel that can be seen protruding through the abdominal wall.

  • Sub-Acute Care

    Typically following a stay in a hospital, this is maintenance care for serious medical conditions that are not urgent or life-threatening. Hospitals typically do not provide sub-acute care on an ongoing basis. Sub-acute care may include long-term ventilator care or other procedures provided on a routine basis either at home or by trained staff at a skilled nursing facility.

  • Testate

    Dying with a legally valid will.

  • Time Sheet

    See Weekly Work Hours

  • Toileting

    Another one of the activities of daily living.  This activity involves getting to and from the toilet, getting on and off the toilet and performing associated personal hygiene.

  • Transitional Care

    Transitional care is the coordination and continuity of health care during movement from one healthcare setting to either another or to home. Sometime called care transition between health care practitioners and settings as your condition and care needs change during the course of a chronic or acute illness. Older adults who suffer from a variety of health conditions often need health care services in different settings to meet their many needs.

  • Truancy

    In terms of Caregivers, is when a Caregiver fails to arrive or show up for a scheduled shift or time period for a Careseeker.  The Private Duty Industry’s own estimates show that for any given day, upwards of 25% of all Caregivers fail to show up for work.  This creates a dangerous situation for many seniors that results in falls, medications not being taken, and failure to execute many of the activities of daily living.

  • Trust

    A trust is a fiduciary (financial) arrangement that allows a third party, or trustee, to hold assets on behalf of a beneficiary or beneficiaries.

  • Unemployment Tax

    Federal and state unemployment taxes fund unemployment benefits paid to workers (Caregivers) who have lost their jobs. Each state has a different method for determining your unemployment taxes and tax rate. If you pay state unemployment taxes, this is considered a legal deduction and you can get a credit toward federal unemployment taxes.

    A Careseeker must pay unemployment taxes for their Caregivers based on FUTA (Federal Unemployment Tax Act). You owe federal unemployment taxes if you paid at least $1500 in wages during any calendar quarter in the current or previous year. Employees do not pay FUTA taxes.

    The FUTA rate is 6.0% and employers can take a credit of up to 5.4% of taxable income if they pay state unemployment taxes. This amount is deducted from the amount of employee federal unemployment taxes you owe. Most states have their own State Unemployment Insurance Tax Act (SUTA or SUI). If you qualify for the highest credit, then the minimum FUTA rate is .6%. Each state has its own new employer rate for new businesses. The length of time that new employers are subject to this rate also varies. Contact your state unemployment office for information on new employer rates.

    **For help with this please contact The Nanny Tax Company (www.nannytaxprep.com); (800) 747-9826.

  • Universal and Safety Precautions

    Universal and Safety Precautions is Healthcare terminology used to warn a Caregiver to wash their hands, wear gloves or a mask and to be more attentive to safety precautions because a Careseeker is compromised. An example of somebody being compromised might be an individual with HIV or at risk for a fall.  In addition, having these precautions would also apply to anyone who my be exposed to blood or other bodily fluids. Blood and certain body fluids of all individuals are considered potentially infectious for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), and other blood-borne pathogens.

  • Urostomy

    This is a general term for a surgical procedure which diverts urine away from a diseased or defective bladder. The ileal or cecal conduit procedures are the most common urostomies. Either a section at the end of the small bowel (ileum) or at the beginning of the large intestine (cecum) is surgically removed and relocated as a passageway (conduit) for urine to pass from the kidneys to the outside of the body through a stoma. It may include removal of the diseased bladder.

  • Veteran’s Aid & Attendant Benefit

    Wartime veterans and their surviving spouses, 65 years and older, may be entitled to a tax-free benefit called Aid and Attendance provided by the Department of Veteran Affairs. The benefit is designed to provide financial aid to help offset the cost of long-term care for those who need assistance with the daily activities of living such as bathing, dressing, eating, toileting, and transferring.

  • W-2

    The IRS requires employers (Employer of Record) to report wage and salary information for employees on Form W-2. An employee’s W-2 also reports the amount of federal, state and other taxes withheld from their paycheck. As an employee, the information on your W-2 is extremely important when preparing your tax return.

  • W-3

    The IRS Tax Form W-3, also known as the Transmittal of Wage and Tax Statements Tax Form W-3 is the portion of W-2 Form which is forwarded to the Social Security Administration, showing total earnings, Medicare wages, Social Security wages, and withholding for all employees encompassing the entire year.

  • Weekly Work Hours

    The hours that a Caregiver works for a Careseeker on any given week. Also known as a weekly time sheet.

  • Wellness

    Wellness is a multidimensional state of being describing the existence of positive health in an individual as exemplified by quality of life and a sense of well-being.

  • Will

    A written document through which a person disposes of property after death. An informative article is Do I Need a Lawyer to Make My Will?

  • Work Hours Status

    This is the status of the submitted weekly work hours (time sheet) by a Caregiver and payment by a Careseeker.

  • Work Week

    See Pay Period

Click to List All Items