| A | B |
|---|
| abandonment | leaving resident unattended |
| abduction | away from the center (midline) of the body |
| abrasion | a scraping or rubbing off of the skin |
| abuse | the infliction of physical, sexual, or emotional injury or |
| active-assistive ROM | nurse asst. assists resident in performing the exercise |
| active range of motion exercises | movements carried out by the resident |
| activities of daily living (ADL) | any activity that is performed in one's life on a daily basis |
| acute | developing rapidly with pronounced symptoms and lasting a short time; rapid onset, short term |
| adduction | toward the center (midline) of the body |
| admission | process of checking a resident into the facility |
| advance directive | a document that designates the residen't wishes in the event that he/she is unable to speak for himself/herself |
| advocate | person who defends someone else |
| afebrile | without fever |
| agitation | vocal or motor behaviors such as shouting, fidgetin, pacing, screaming, or wandering |
| agnosia | loss of the abitlity to recognize familiar objects |
| Alzheimer's disease | progressive impairment of memory, reasoning, and judment that is related to cellular changes within the brain and that leads to loss of independence in activities of daily living |
| ambulation | ability to walk |
| ambulatory | able to walk |
| anterior | toward the front |
| anti-embolism stockings | elastic hosiery used to minimize the occurrence of edema and blood clots |
| anus | outlet of the rectum |
| aphasia | language difficulty due to brain damage, which can affect listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills; loss of the ability to use or understand language |
| apical pulse | puls taken at the apex of the heart |
| apraxia | loss of the ability carry out planned movements at will (e.g., dressing, eating, bathing) |
| arteries | blood vessels that crry blood away from the heart |
| arteriosclerosis | loss of elasticity in the walls of the blood vessels |
| arthritis | inflammation of a joint |
| asepsis | the absence of germs |
| aseptic | free of microorganisms |
| aspiration | to draw fluid or object into the lung when breathing in |
| assault | threat or attempt to injure another in an unlawful manner |
| assessment | an appraisal of the whole person to establish a baseline and determine the resident' potential and his need for help |
| atherosclerosis | accumulation of fat deposits inside of arteries, making them more narrow |
| atrophy | wasting away of muscle tissue leading to weakness |
| axilla | armpit |
