Caregiver
A broad term used to refer to an individual who provides care to another individual who cannot care for him or herself due to a disability or functional limitation. This individual could provide nonmedical care such as help with bathing or eating or he/she could provide medically necessary care such as changing dressings. The care may be provided informally by a relative, friend or neighbor or by a paid individual who may or may not be a licensed professional. Sometimes referred to as a caretaker, though a caretaker is usually one that looks after or takes charge of goods and property.
More Common Terms
- Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) An extension of Medicare coverage that provides cash disability benefits for those who qualify.
- Depression Depression is a biological illness which may include sadness without any apparent cause, lack of interest, change in appetite and fatigue. Because depression is an illness, a person can't just "snap out of it."
- Emphysema A chronic lung condition in which the air sacs in the lungs become overstretched, causing a breakdown of their walls and resulting in decreased resiratory function.