Five Key Terms Every Nursing Home Social Worker Should Know

Advance Directive
Age-associated Memory Impairment
Care Plan Meeting
Dual Eligibles
Living Will

A person who wants to become a social worker should consider these five key terms every nursing home social worker should know. The terminology of social work can be tricky, as can the terminology of patient care in a nursing home. Understanding the jargon could allow a social worker to provide better services to their clients. Understanding each of these five terms could also help a social worker provide exemplary care to nursing home patients and their families.

Advance Directive

An advance directive is a statement of an individual’s preferences about their healthcare. For example, if a patient in a nursing home has a heart attack, they may put in their advance directive that they do not want to be resuscitated. An advance directive protects the patient’s rights and healthcare wishes known in the event that they are not able to answer questions or make decisions in the moment about their healthcare. It also means that their family does not have to make decisions on their behalf.

Age-associated Memory Impairment

Mild memory loss is a normal part of the aging process. It is not the same thing as dementia. Dementia is progressive and affects the everyday functioning of an individual. A person with an age-associated memory impairment might forget names of people they don’t see too often. For example, if the nursing home resident with age-associated memory impairment only sees the hair dresser once per month, they might forget the hair dresser’s name. Dementia affects everyday activities. For example, a person with dementia may forget how to brush their teeth, and their memory impairment would get worse over time.

Care Plan Meeting

According to Care Conversations, another key term that every nursing home social worker should know is “care plan meeting.” A care plan meeting is an in-person review of the care treatments for a resident of a nursing home. The parties attending the meeting include the resident if they are able; loved ones or a healthcare proxy; caregivers; and the nursing home social worker. The care plan meeting includes updates and provides an opportunity for making changes to the services the patient receives as a resident in a nursing home.

Dual Eligibles

Dual eligibles refers to people who are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid coverage from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid federal agency. Medicare is a social services program for people ages 65 and older. It pays for healthcare services, such as hospitalization or a visit to a cardiologist. Medicaid is a health insurance program for low-income people. It also pays for different types of healthcare services. A person who is over the age of 65 and lives on a low income may be eligible to receive benefits from both programs. This could reduce their out-of-pocket expenses for nursing home care or other medical services to a low or no out-of-pocket amount.

Living Will

A living will is a legal document. It specifies which healthcare services and medical procedures a person wants and does not want in the event that they cannot communicate or make decisions for themselves. For example, a person who has a severe stroke may not want to be intubated, or a person with Alzheimer’s disease may not want to have cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The document also specifies if the person wants food or fluids withdrawn when their passing is imminent.

Knowledge of these five key terms related to nursing home patients and social work is important for healthcare professionals and social workers to know. This knowledge could improve the care received by a patient. These five terms that every nursing home social worker should know could also improve the level of service the social worker is able to provide.