Elder Law Glossary

Assisted Living Facility:  Assisted Living Facilities provide housing and personal services for their residents, but they do not provide complicated medical care.  Most assisted living facilities are designed for residents who require some help with a few activities of daily living but who do not require continuous care or assistance.

CCRC: Continuing Care Retirement Community.  CCRC’s provide housing, personal services and medical care in one place, often for a set fee.  The goal of a CCRC is to provide the proper level of medical care without forcing a senior to move to a different facility.

Conservatorship: A proceeding whereby the court appoints someone to manage the financial affairs of a person to be protected.  Under the recent changes to the Massachusetts Probate Code, a conservator only handles a person’s funds – a guardian must be appointed to control someone’s personal affairs.

Guardianship: A proceeding whereby the court appoints someone to manage the personal affairs of an incapacitated person.  Under the recent changes to the Massachusetts Probate Code, a guardian is only responsible for the “person”, not the person’s finances – a conservator would be appointed to manage those funds.

Long-Term Care Facility: Also called nursing homes, these facilities provide temporary rehabilitation care for people following hospitalizations, and they also provide skilled nursing care for residents who require 24 hour supervision and more extensive skilled nursing care.

Long-Term Care Insurance: Specialized insurance used to cover the costs of long-term care.  Most long-term care insurance policies are structured to pay beneficiaries a set, per-diem rate for care over a specific period of time.  Sometimes these policies can be used to pay for home care or for care in an assisted living facility.

MassHealth: The Massachusetts Medicaid program.  Since Medicaid is a state and federal partnership, each state has its own Medicaid agency and Medicaid programs.  In Massachusetts, Medicaid is called MassHealth.

Medicare: The federal health insurance program for seniors and people with disabilities.  Most seniors over age 65 will qualify so long as they are eligible for Social Security, and there are no asset or income requirements (although premiums are based on income).  Medicare consists of four main components – Part A for hospital and emergency care, Part B for routine doctors visits and continuing care, Part C for Medicare Advantage (a program like an HMO that combines Part A and Part B) and Part D for prescription drug coverage. 

Medicaid: The state and federal health insurance partnership that provides medical care for people with low-incomes, people with disabilities, and some seniors.  Medicaid (called MassHealth in Massachusetts) is the government program that provides seniors with long-term care benefits if they meet income and asset requirements.