A
Activities Coordinator
The member of our team who plans and delivers all the activities, events and outings for residents.
Advocacy
Support provided to residents to help them express their wishes and rights, often by an independent advocate.
B
Brokerage Service
A service that helps individuals and families find and arrange suitable care services.
C
Care Assistant
A staff member who provides help with personal care, such as bathing, dressing, and eating.
Care Plan
A document outlining an individual’s care needs, preferences, and how they will be met. This will be created by us with input from you, and other healthcare providers.
Care Quality Commission (CQC)
The independent regulator of health and social care in England, responsible for inspecting and rating care homes.
Community
A term used to describe distinct living areas of a care home, often by the type of care delivered, for example the dementia community, or residential community.
Continuing Healthcare (CHC)
NHS-funded care for individuals with significant ongoing health needs.
D
Dementia-Friendly
A term describing environments or practices that are designed to support individuals living with dementia.
Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS)
Legal safeguards under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 to protect individuals who cannot consent to their care arrangements.
E
End-of-Life Care
Support provided to residents in the final stages of life, focusing on comfort and dignity.
Enhanced Care
Additional care provided for residents with more complex needs.
F
Falls Risk Assessment
A tool used to evaluate a resident’s risk of falling and plan interventions to prevent falls.
H
Home Manager
The person responsible for the overall running of the care home.
I
Individual Needs Assessment
An evaluation that is undertaken to determine a person’s physical, emotional, and social needs, to ensure appropriate care is delivered.
Intermediate Care
Sometimes known as respite, short-term care provided to prevent hospital admissions or support recovery after hospital discharge.
K
Key Worker
A designated staff member assigned to oversee the care and well-being of a specific resident.
L
Living Will
A document stating a resident’s wishes regarding medical treatment if they are unable to communicate them.
Local Authority
The council responsible for funding or arranging social care services in the UK.
M
Manual Handling
The safe moving and handling of residents, often requiring specific training for care staff.
Medication Administration Record (MAR)
A document used to track and record medication administration for residents, also EMAR which is the electronic version.
Mental Capacity Act (MCA)
Legislation outlining how decisions should be made for individuals who lack the capacity to make them.
P
Personal Care
Assistance with daily tasks such as washing, dressing, and toileting.
Power of Attorney (POA)
A legal document granting someone the authority to make decisions on behalf of another person.
R
Residential Care
Care provided in a home setting, including personal care and accommodation.
Respite Care
Short-term care, perhaps to give regular caregivers a break, following a hospital visit, or as a trial stay before committing to full time care.
Risk Assessment
A process to identify potential hazards and plan to minimize risks to residents.
S
Safeguarding
Measures to protect residents from abuse, neglect, or exploitation.
W
Wellbeing
A holistic approach to physical, emotional, and social health in care, sometimes also used to describe activities and events taking place that may boost a resident’s wellbeing.
Whistleblowing
The act of reporting concerns about unsafe or unethical practices in the care home.