Case Management Glossary

Adults simultaneously caring for aging parents and supporting their own children. This group is the most common entry point for geriatric care management inquiries, and its defining constraint is available time rather than available money.

A documented estimate of the services, equipment, and support an individual will require, with the associated costs mapped over a defined time period. Projections are used in family planning, fiduciary budgeting, and litigation where future care needs must be quantified.

Short-term care provided to give a primary family caregiver temporary relief, delivered at home, through adult day programs, or as a brief facility stay. Respite is a prevention strategy rather than a luxury, and it directly extends how long a family can sustain care at home.

The cumulative physical, emotional, and financial strain carried by a family member providing ongoing care. High caregiver burden predicts decline in the caregiver’s own health and is a leading reason older adults enter facilities sooner than their clinical condition requires.

The process of comparing a patient’s full medication list against what is being taken and what has been newly prescribed, then resolving the discrepancies. It is performed at every care transition and is one of the most effective ways to prevent adverse drug events.

Any movement of a patient between care settings, such as hospital to skilled nursing, or facility to home. Transitions are the highest-risk points for medication errors, missed follow-up, and readmission, which is why transitional case management targets them specifically.

Home health is skilled, physician-ordered medical care delivered at home by nurses or therapists and is often covered by insurance. Home care is non-medical assistance with personal care, meals, and household tasks, and is typically paid privately or through long-term care insurance.

A licensed facility providing 24-hour nursing care and rehabilitation services. A stay may be short-term for recovery after hospitalization or long-term for ongoing medical needs, and the Medicare coverage rules governing each are substantially different.

A secured residential setting designed for people living with dementia, staffed by people trained in behavioral management, structured activity, and wandering prevention. Memory care usually carries a higher monthly cost than standard assisted living within the same community.

A small licensed residential facility, often a converted private home, serving roughly six residents with meals, personal care, and supervision. Board and care homes typically offer a higher staff-to-resident ratio and a lower monthly cost than large assisted living communities.