| 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 harm |
| Active-Resistance ROM | the nurse assistant assists the resident in performing the exercise |
| Active Range of Motion exercises | movements caqrried 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 shorty 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 resident's wishes in the event that he/she is unable to speak for himself/herself |
| advocate | a person who defends someone else |
| afebrile | without fever |
| agitation | vocal or motor behaviors such as shouting, fidgeting, pacing, screaming, or wandering |
| agnosia | loss of the abitlity to recognize familiar objects |
| Alzheimer's disease | a progressive impairment of memory, reasoning, and judgment 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 |
| body mechanics | using correct techniques in performing certain functions in a manner that does not add undue strain to the body |
| body temperature | the amount of heat in the body that is a a blance between the amount of heat produced and the amount lost by the body |
| bowel movement | solid waste eliminated from the digestive tract |
| bowel obstruction | a blockage in the intestine |
| brachial artery | the artery in the antecubital space in front of the elbow |
| bradycardia | slow puse rate, usually less that 60 beats per minute |
| bronchi | two large branches of the trachea through which air moves in and out of the lungs |
| anus | outlet of the rectum |
| aphasia | language difficulty due to brain damage, which can affect listening, speaking, reading, and writing skill; loss of the ability use or understand language |
| apical pulse | pulse taken at the apex of the heart |
| apraxia | loss of the ability to carry out planned movements at will |
| arteries | blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart |
| arteriosclerosis | loss of elasticity in the walls fo 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's 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 |
| basic human needs | activities required by all people to successfully and satisfactorily live their lives |
| bacteria | single-celled organisms that can cause disease/illness |
| battery | unlawful application of force to the person of another |
| bladder | a muscular sac that stores the urine in the body |
| blindness | inability to see |
| blood pressure | the amount of force exerted against the walls of an artery by the blood |
