V Glossary
Activities of daily living (ADLs): Hygiene, grooming, dressing, fluid and nutritional intake, mobility, and elimination needs of clients.
A.M. care: Personal care performed in the morning.
Aspiration: Inadvertently breathing fluid or food into the airway instead of swallowing it.
Clock method: A method used with clients with visual impairments to describe where the food on their plate is located. For example, state, “Your mashed potatoes are at 10 o’clock, the green beans are at 2 o’clock, and the meat loaf is at 6 o’clock on your plate.”
CLOWD: An acronym to consider after providing personal care but before leaving the room that stands for Comfort; Light, Lock and Low; Open; Wash; and Document.
Colostomy: A surgically placed opening when a client’s colon function is impaired. A piece of the colon is diverted to an artificial opening in the abdominal wall called a stoma, and feces is collected in a pouch.
Commode: A movable device with a bucket underneath the seat that is used for elimination when the client has difficulty getting to the bathroom.
Complete bed bath: A bath provided in bed for clients who have difficulty getting out of bed, are experiencing excessive pain, or have other physical or cognitive issues that make other types of bathing less tolerable.
Grooming: Maintaining a resident’s appearance through shaving, hair, and nail care.
Hygiene: Keeping the body clean and reducing pathogens by performing tasks such as bathing and oral care.
Impaired skin integrity: Skin that is damaged or not healing normally. An example of impaired skin integrity is a pressure injury (also called a bedsore or pressure ulcer) with damage to the skin and surrounding tissue.
Incontinence briefs or pads: Disposable products used for clients with little to no control over bladder or bowel function.
Partial bath: Washing the face, underarms, arms, hands, and perineal area. Partial baths are given daily to maintain hygiene. They preserve skin integrity by not drying out skin with excessive soap and water use.
Perineal: The genital and anal area.
Personal care: Care that a client needs to maintain hygiene, well-being, self-esteem, and dignity.
Person-centered care: A care approach that considers the whole person, not just their physical and medical needs. It also refers to a person’ autonomy to make decisions about their care, as well as participate in their own care.
P.M. care: Personal care performed in the evening.
Pureed diet: A diet order indicating all food is blended to smooth consistency.
Routine cares: Personal cares provided to every resident every day, such as assisting them in getting dressed for breakfast.
Sepsis: Life-threatening infection that has spread throughout the body.
SKWIPE: An acronym to consider before providing cares to clients that stands for Supplies, Knock, Wash, Introduce, Privacy, and Explain.
Timed voiding: Encourages the patient to urinate on a set schedule.
Urge incontinence: A condition where as soon as the person feels the need to empty their bladder they have very little time before urine escapes.
Urinary catheter: A device placed into the bladder by a nurse using sterile technique that allows the urine to drain into a collection bag.
Urinary tract infection (UTI): A common infection that occurs when bacteria, typically from the rectum, enter the urethra and infect the bladder or kidneys.
Urostomy: A surgically placed opening to collect urine from a person’s ureters when their bladder is diseased or has been removed. Urostomies are typically located on the lower right side of the abdomen, and urine is collected into a drainage bag.
Wet voice: Vocalization with sounds as if food or fluids remain in the mouth or throat.
