Common Acronyms
AARP ( formerly the American Association of Retired Persons) – A nonprofit, nonpartisan lobbying organization advocating for improved quality of life for Americans age 50 and over. AARP, with more than 35 million members, provides a wide range of benefits and services, including investment opportunities, and discounts on insurance and travel.
ADLs (Activities of Daily Living) – Eight basic activities usually engaged in during the course of the day: bathing, eating, dressing, grooming, mobility (ambulation), transferring from bed to chair, and toileting (bladder & bowel control).
AoA ( U.S. Administration on Aging) –Federal agency that funds, administrates and oversees Older Americans Act programs through the state units, area agencies on aging and the Native American Tribal Units. The AoA, created in 1965, is an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is now headed by Assistant Secretary for Aging Josefina G. Carbonell.
APS (Adult Protective Services) – Service protecting the rights of frail older adults by investigating cases of abuse, neglect, and (financial) exploitation as mandated by law.
CCRC (Continuing Care Retirement Community) – A community offering multiple, continuing levels of care (independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing care) in different facilities within the same area or campus, giving residents the opportunity to remain in the same community if their needs change. These communities provide residential services (meals, housekeeping, laundry), social and recreational services, health care services, personal care, and nursing care. CCRCs require payment of a monthly fee and, possibly, a large lump-sum entrance fee.
CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) – This federal organization, known until 2001 as the Health Care Financing Administration, oversees the Medicare and Medicaid programs. The organization’s primary goal is to ensure effective, up-to-date health care coverage and to promote quality care for beneficiaries. It also provides information to assist consumers in choosing a variety of types of service providers through its website at www.medicare.gov.
HCBS (Home- and Community-Based Services) – Services designed to keep older persons living as independently as possible in their own homes and communities.
HHS( U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services) – The federal department that administrates and oversees the U.S. Administration on Aging and an array of other medical and social programs.
HMO (Health Maintenance Organization) – A health-care care organization that offers a range of health services to its members for a set rate, but, in attempts to control costs, requires its members to receive care only from health care professionals who are part of the organization’s selected network of providers. (See also Medicare HMOs)
IADLs (Instrumental Activities of Daily Living) – Specific living tasks, crucial to maintaining independence, that include using the telephone, taking medications, money management, housework, meal preparation, laundry, and grocery shopping.
LTC (Long-Term Care) – The broad spectrum of medical and support services provided – often for years or decades in duration – to persons who have lost the capacity to function on their own due to a chronic illness or condition. Long-term care can consist of care in the home and community by family members assisted with voluntary or employed help, adult day health care, or care in assisted living or skilled nursing facilities.
MDS (Minimum Data Sets) – System used in tracking demographic and impairment levels of nursing home residents to better understand nursing home utilization patterns. Aspects of MDS are used by some states in calculating reimbursement rates.
NAAAA (aka n4a): National Association of Area Agencies on Aging) – The membershiporganization for the 655 area agencies on aging and a voice in the nation’s capital for the 243 Title VI Native American aging programs in the U.S. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., this association advocates on behalf of all area aging agencies and Title VI programs to ensure that the necessary resources are available to older Americans and those who serve and care for them.
NASUA (National Association of State Units on Aging) – Founded in 1964, the National Association of State Units on Aging is a non-profit association representing the nation's 56 officially designated state and territorial agencies on aging. Its mission is to advance social, health, and economic policies responsive to the needs of a diverse aging population and to enhance the capacity of its membership to promote the rights, dignity and independence of, and expand opportunities and resources for, current and future generations of older persons, adults with disabilities and their families.
NCCNHR (National Citizens’ Coalition for Nursing Home Reform) – A coalition of concerned citizens advocating and lobbying for improved conditions in nursing homes across the country. Formed in 1975, NCCNHR provides information and leadership on federal and state regulatory and legislative policy development and models and strategies to improve care and life for residents of nursing homes and other long term care facilities. Ongoing work addresses issues such as inadequate staffing and poor working conditions in nursing homes, as well as residents’ rights issues.
PSA (Planning and Service Area, same as Area Agency on Aging) – Regions of the state, often consisting of various counties, wherein aging services are coordinated by Area Agencies on Aging in coordination with the State Unit on Aging.
QMB (Qualified Medicare Beneficiary) – Program for low-income older persons wherein individuals are enrolled in a Medicaid program that also pays for Medicare cost-share expenses (deductibles , co-payments , and Part B premiums).
SLMB (Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary) – Medicaid program that pays for Medicare Part B monthly premiums for low-income elders and persons with disabilities who qualify for Medicare Part A .
SLMB-Plus (Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary Plus) –SLMB-Plus eligibles have full Medicaid benefits. The SLMB-Plus was created when Congress changed eligibility criteria for SLMBs to eliminate the requirement that SLMBs could not otherwise qualify for Medicaid.
SNF (Skilled Nursing Facility) – A facility certified by Medicare to provide 24-hour residential nursing care and rehabilitation services in addition to other medical services.
SSA (Social Security Administration) – Created in 1935, the federal office that administers the social security program and its monthly payments to Americans. The office also administers Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments. In 2006, nearly 49 million Americans received approximately $539 billion in Social Security benefits. Currently, some 162 million U.S. workers, 96% of all American workers, contribute more than $700 billion to the program each year.
SSI (Supplemental Security Income) – Supplemental Security Income is a federal supplemental income program – adjusted yearly for inflation and administered by the SSA – for those who do not receive enough (or any) social security to lift them above the poverty level. Many states boost federal SSI payment with (optional) additional funds. In most states, SSI recipients are also automatically eligible for Medicaid.