If you are watching Grey’s Anatomy for the 39,548th time, chances are that when they’re when someone “codes” on the show, you’re going to know what that is. In fact, you can probably call what they’re going to do before they do it…or before they make a fatal mistake for dramatic purposes!
“Doesn’t she know to use the paddles instead of the chest compressions, omg you’re gonna lose him NOOOO!!!”
Maybe it’s not an actual episode, but you get it.
But maybe something that you’re new to is the lingo in the Alzheimer’s and Dementia world. It’s just as confusing, and when I’m talking to families who are moving their loved ones into a community, even I slip up and use the jargon without asking if they’re familiar with it. For any field that you’re in, there are acronyms for everything.
We’ve gotten so comfortable with acronyms, we even use OMG instead of oh my god.
I’m so guilty.
Now that you are in the position of taking care of your loved one’s healthcare decisions, it’s going to be very important that you actually know what the doctor is talking about.
Below are some of the most commonly used terminology in the senior healthcare world that will help you in your day to day cares with your loved one.
P.O.A.
This stands for “Power of Attorney”. Now I am not a lawyer and I don’t pretend to be one on TV, but in order to progress in the care of your loved one, you will need their power of attorney paperwork. It’s a fairly simple document that helps your loved one determine what their wishes are if they are no longer to make their own.
In an ideal world, your loved one will have planned this in advance, but death is a hard conversation for some people, and it’s so bad for them that they never even commit to future plans for who to take care of them. When that happens, it can get messy. Like court messy.
Things to look for are the part where they are ok with being put into an assisted living setting. This is important to talk about with them. Many of our loved ones who are aging want to leave their house “feet first”, but that’s not necessarily an option in today’s world. My advice is to talk to them as soon as you are able to, to make sure every one is on the same page.
Different states have different protocols on this. I know because I live in a weird one. In Wisconsin, you must have your POA documents, but if it comes time that you are unable to make your own healthcare decisions, you will need an “activation form”, which is signed by two doctors stating that their decision making skills are lacking and now their POA is being “activated”. Now you as the first person on the line can make decisions for them.
There are two big decisions that you will be making for your loved one: medical and financial. When there are more people that are involved with their care, one person can be financial POA (fPOA) and one can be healthcare POA (hcPOA). Or you take everything. It’s up to the person that you are taking care of. The best thing to do is sit down very early on and have an in depth conversation about what their wants are.
D.N.R.
This one can be really hard to talk about.
Do. Not. Resuscitate.
I’m going to give you an example of a situation that could happen if there is no DNR signed (TRIGGER WARNING: heart attack scenario):
Your Mom is in her late 70s, and she has Alzheimer’s. Your mom has also just had a heart attack. If she is what is deemed “full code”, she will have to have CPR done on her. This will include chest compressions, which if mom is already frail, there is a very good chance that her ribs will be cracked, and this will be very painful.
Even when CPR is done correctly and continuously, there is a chance that Mom might not come out of this. If she does, there is a good chance that oxygen had not been circulating to her brain well, potentially causing her memory to worsen, and now she has cracked ribs. This may cause her to react poorly to pain and have to be reminded to take it easy.
Like the POA, the DNR conversation is going to really important to have with your loved one before their decision making is severely impaired. No matter what your loved one’s decision is, your emotions should not be clouded by their ultimate decision. You may want to keep them here forever, but if they’ve made the decision to go when God said it was their time, then respect that decision. And vice versa, of course.
A very easy way to get a DNR is through your doctor’s office or Google “(your state) DNR form”.
ADLs
This one is a little less weighty. Activities of Daily Living. These are the things we do each day that get us where we’re going.
Get up in the morning. Change clothes. Brush our teeth. Take a shower. Eat Breakfast.
The list goes on. This term is good to have in your back pocket when you are speaking with a physical or occupational therapist. While we are doing all of the tasks above, we are using different muscles and body parts. These are also the things that our loves ones start to forget how to do once their disease progresses, and either you or a memory care community will be helping them with these.
CNA/LVN/LPN
CNA -Certified Nursing Assistant. These are the caregivers that have received more training than a basic caregiver. They can handle mechanical lifts and take vitals as well.
LVN/LPN -Licensed Vocational Nurse/Licensed Practical Nurse. These are nurses who went to school through an associate’s program. they work under an RN, or Registered Nurse.
All of these terms are incredibly useful in your everyday life, now that you have someone else depending on you. Let me know what other acronyms you want clarification on, and keep up the good fight.
