Abbreviations, Acronyms and Definitions List
Below you find a list of useful abbreviations, acronyms and definitions. This list contains “jargon” encountered while working as an ombudsman. It is not meant to be overly descriptive and should rather be used as a tool to help you begin your exploration. Please feel free to contact us with new suggestions to add to our list.
AAA – Area Agency on Aging
ACL – Administration for Community Living
Admin – Commonly used to refer to a facility administrator
ADL – Activities of Daily Living
ADON – Assistant Director of Nursing
ADRC – Aging and Disability Resource Centers
ALR – Assisted Living Residence
AoA – Administration on Aging
APS – Adult Protective Services
CDHS – Colorado Department of Human Services
CDPHE – Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
CIL – Center for Independent Living
CMS – Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services are a division within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, CMS administers the nation’s major healthcare programs including Medicare and Medicaid
CNA – Certified Nursing Assistant
Complainant – An individual who requests Ombudsman Program complaint investigation services regarding one or more complaints made by, or on behalf of, residents
Complaint – Expression of dissatisfaction or concern brought to, or initiated by, the Ombudsman Program which requires Ombudsman Program investigation and resolution on behalf of one or more residents of a long-term care facility
Complaint code – the alphanumerical value as defined by NORS to identify and label complaint types
Complaint Disposition (Resolution) – Final resolution or outcome of the complaint.
Complaint Verification (Verification) – Confirmation that most or all facts alleged by the complainant are likely to be true
Discharge – Movement of a resident from a bed in one certified facility to a bed in another certified facility or other location in the community, when return to the original facility is not expected
Disposition – The final resolution or outcome of the complaint.
Diversion (medication) – Theft or misuse of medication by staff
DON – Director of Nursing
Dually Certified – Facilities certified for both Medicare and Medicaid
Gross Neglect (Neglect) – Failure to protect a resident from harm or the failure to meet needs for essential medical care, nutrition, hydration, hygiene, clothing, basic activities of daily living or shelter, which results in a serious risk of compromised health and/or safety, relative to age, health status, and cultural norms
HCBS – Home and Community-Based Services provide opportunities for individuals eligible for Medicaid to receive services in their own home or community rather than long-term care facilities or other isolated settings
HCPF – Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing
HHS – U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
HIPAA – A federal law that required the creation of national standards to protect patient health information from being disclosed without the patient’s consent or knowledge
Local Ombudsman – Paid and volunteer ombudsmen working in a particular region of the state under the direction of the State Ombudsman
LOE – Local Ombudsman Entity
LTCOP – Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program
LTCSP – Long-Term Care Survey Process
LTSS – Long-Term services and supports
Mandatory Reporter – Individual who holds a professional position or license that requires them to report known or suspected abuse to the appropriate state agency
MDPA – Medical Durable Power of Attorney
MFCU – The Medicaid Fraud Control Unit
MFP – Money Follows the Person is a Medicaid program that provides financial assistance to eligible nursing home residents who want to move back into the community.
NCLER – National Center on Law and Elder Rights
NH – Nursing Home
NHA – Nursing Home Administrator
NORC – National Ombudsman Resource Center
NORS – National Ombudsman Reporting System
OAA – Older Americans Act
OAADS – Office of Adult, Aging and Disability Services
Office (with a capital “O”) – Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman (with a capital “O”)
P & Ps – Policies and Procedures
PCH – Personal Care Home
Perpetrator – The person(s) who appears to have caused the abuse, neglect, or exploitation
POA – Power of Attorney
PRN – Abbreviation for the latin “pro re nata” which translates to “as the thing is needed” and relates to medication being taken “as needed”
QMAP – Qualified Medication Administration Personnel
Referral – occurs when action is needed by another agency as part of the Ombudsman Program’s plan of action for complaint resolution.
Regional Ombudsman – A supervisory role overseeing a region of the state under the direction of the State Ombudsman
Resident Representative – Individual chosen by the resident to act on their behalf, or a person authorized by federal or state law to act on behalf of a resident in order to support the resident in decision-making; access medical, social, or other personal information of the resident; manage financial matters; or receive notifications; legal representative or a court-appointed guardian or conservator of a resident.
SAMHSA – Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
SHIP -State Health Insurance Assistance Program
SLTCOP – State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program
SMI – Serious Mental Illness
SMP – Senior Medicare Patrol
SNF – Skilled Nursing Facility that are certified facilities that provide skilled nursing care for residents who require medical or nursing care rehabilitation.
SSD – Social Services Director
State Office – Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman
State Ombudsman – The highest Ombudsman position in the state
State Survey Agency – The state agency responsible for certifying and/or licensing long term care facilities and conducting inspections and investigations to ensure compliance with federal and state regulations.
State Surveyor – An individual who works for CDPHE to conduct in depth surveys, inspections, and investigations of long term care facilities
SUDS – State Unit Data System is used by ombudsmen for documentation (Salesforce).
Transfer – Movement of a resident from a bed in one certified facility to a bed in another certified facility when the resident expects to return to the original facility. Also refers to the movement of a resident from a bed in a state-licensed/certified facility to a bed in another facility or other location, such as a hospital when the resident expects to return to the original facility
TTY – Teletypwriter communication device used by people who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, or have severe speech impairment
UTI – Urinary Tract Infection