Hospice Glossary of Terms

Abnormal: Outside the expected norm, or uncharacteristic of a particular patient.

Acute: Of abrupt onset, in reference to a disease. Acute often also connotes an illness th...

Cancer: An abnormal growth of cells which tend to proliferate in an uncontrolled way and, ...

Constipation: Infrequent and frequently incomplete bowel movements. Constipation is the op...

Curable: Amenable to a cure, capable of being cured, to being healed and made well. From ...

Depression: An illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts and that affects the way...

Grief: The normal process of reacting to a loss. The loss may be physical (such as a death...

Hospice: A program or facility that provides special care for people who are near the end ...

Hospice care: Care designed to give supportive care to people in the final phase of a term...

ICU: Intensive care unit. The intensive care unit is a designated area of a hospital facil...

Incurable: Not amenable to a cure. Incapable of being cured, healed and made well again. ...

Injury: Harm or hurt. To harm, hurt, or wound. The word injure may be in physical or emot...

Inpatient: A patient whose care requires a stay in a hospital. As opposed to an outpatient...

Intensive care: See critical care.

Living will: An advance medical directive that specifies what types of medical treatment a...

Medicare: The US government's national health insurance program for people aged 65 and old...

Morphine: A powerful narcotic agent that has strong analgesic (pain relief) action and oth...

Music therapy: The use of music in therapy; the therapeutic use of music. There are many d...

Nausea: Stomach queasiness, the urge to vomit. Nausea can be brought on by many causes, in...

Nurse: 1) A person trained, licensed, or skilled in nursing. 2) To feed an infant at the ...

Nursing: 1) Profession concerned with the provision of services essential to the maintena...

Nursing home: A residential facility for people with chronic illness or disability, partic...

Nutritionist: 1) In a hospital or nursing home, a person who plans and/or formulates spe...

Opioid: 1. A synthetic narcotic that resembles the naturally occurring opiates. 2. Any sub...

Pain: An unpleasant sensation that can range from mild, localized discomfort to agony. Pa...

Palliative care: 1) Medical or comfort care that reduces the severity of a disease or slo...

Pediatrics: The field of medicine that is concerned with the health of infants, children, ...

Pharmacy: A location where prescription medications are sold. A pharmacy is constantly sup...

Quality of life: The patient's ability to enjoy normal life activities. Quality of life is...

Sleep: The body's rest cycle.

Taste: A perception that results from stimulation of a gustatory nerve. Taste belongs to t...

Therapy: The treatment of disease. Therapy is synonymous with treatment.

Tubes: The "tubes" are medically known as the Fallopian tubes. There are two Fallopian tub...