Glossary

Senior safety glossary

Clear, jargon-free definitions of the terms you'll meet while shopping for senior home safety products.

Activities of Daily Living: Activities of daily living (ADLs) are the basic self-care tasks a person does every day, such as bathing, dressing, eating, toileting, and moving around.
ADA Compliant: ADA compliant means a product or installation meets the accessibility standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act — most relevant for grab bars and bathroom safety.
Aging in Place: Aging in place means living safely and independently in your own home as you grow older, rather than moving to a care facility.
Bariatric: Bariatric equipment is mobility and safety gear engineered for higher weight capacities and larger body sizes — typically 500 lb and above.
Durable Medical Equipment: Durable medical equipment (DME) is reusable, medically necessary equipment prescribed for home use, such as walkers, wheelchairs, commodes, and hospital beds.
Dysphagia: Dysphagia is difficulty swallowing, which can make eating and drinking unsafe and raises the risk of choking and pneumonia in seniors.
Edema: Edema is swelling caused by excess fluid trapped in the body's tissues, often in the legs, ankles, and feet — sometimes eased by graduated compression.
Fall Detection: Fall detection is technology in some medical alert devices that automatically senses a hard fall and calls for help, even if the wearer can't press the button.
Grab Bar: A grab bar is a wall-mounted handle that gives a senior a stable, weight-bearing handhold — most often in the bathroom to prevent falls.
Hearing Aid Compatible (HAC): Hearing aid compatible (HAC) describes phones designed to work cleanly with hearing aids, reducing buzzing and interference for seniors.
Incontinence: Incontinence is the loss of bladder or bowel control, a common and manageable condition in older adults that affects dignity, skin health, and sleep.
Low Vision: Low vision is significant visual impairment that can't be fully corrected with glasses, contacts, medicine, or surgery — but can be aided by magnifiers and lighting.
Macular Degeneration: Macular degeneration is an age-related eye condition that blurs central vision, making reading and fine detail difficult while peripheral vision is preserved.
Occupational Therapist (OT): An occupational therapist (OT) helps people do everyday activities safely and independently — and can assess a senior's home and recommend safety equipment.
Orthostatic Hypotension: Orthostatic hypotension is a drop in blood pressure when standing up that causes dizziness or lightheadedness — a common, treatable cause of falls in seniors.
Personal Emergency Response System: A PERS is a wearable medical alert device that lets a senior summon help at the press of a button, often with automatic fall detection.
Personal Sound Amplifier: A personal sound amplifier (PSAP) is a non-medical device that makes surrounding sounds louder — distinct from an FDA-cleared hearing aid.
Polypharmacy: Polypharmacy is the use of multiple medications at once — common in older adults and a leading cause of drug interactions and medication errors.
Pressure Ulcer: A pressure ulcer, or bedsore, is skin and tissue damage caused by sustained pressure, common in people who sit or lie in one position for long periods.
Respite Care: Respite care is short-term, temporary relief for a primary caregiver, ranging from a few hours to a longer stay, so the caregiver can rest.
Rollator: A rollator is a wheeled walker with four wheels, hand brakes, and usually a built-in seat, designed for steadier walking and resting on the go.
Sundowning: Sundowning is a pattern of increased confusion, agitation, and restlessness in the late afternoon and evening seen in some people with dementia.
Transfer Bench: A transfer bench is a bath seat that straddles the tub wall so a senior can sit and slide across instead of stepping over the edge.
Transport Wheelchair: A transport wheelchair is a lightweight, caregiver-pushed wheelchair with small rear wheels, designed to fold compactly for appointments and travel.
Universal Design: Universal design is the practice of designing homes and products to be usable by people of all ages and abilities, without the need for adaptation.
Wandering: Wandering is a common, high-risk behavior in dementia where a person walks or leaves a safe area unaware, risking getting lost or harmed.
Weight Capacity: Weight capacity is the maximum load a piece of safety equipment is rated to support — a critical number to check before buying for a senior.