Category: P

A calculation of the impact of a disease on society owing to premature death from the specific disease; the number of years the person would live if she or he had never contracted the disease.  

A legal term for children who, because of behavioral problems, require supervision, usually in an institution.  

A conceptual model used by occupational therapists to guide clinical reasoning and plan interventions. It emphasizes that activity performance is influenced by the capacity of the individual, the characteristics of the activity, and the resources and task demands of the environment.  

Someone designated to make health care decisions for another if that other person becomes incapable of making such decisions.  

Clothing, masks, gloves, or other gear that protects a person from exposure to noxious chemicals or transmissible diseases.  

A social theory of health care that stresses the importance of respect for the dignity and individuality of those people for whom care is provided.  

A personal bias or peculiarity that may explain a difference in approach or interpretation.  

A device consisting of a portable battery-powered help button and a machine that automatically dials a monitoring station. The device is connected to the individual’s telephone or to a phone jack. When the system is activated, it either allows a two-way communication between the monitoring station and the individual or alerts the station personnel to…

A hand-held or pocket-sized computer used to store information or communicate with others.  

An employee hired to assist a functionally limited person with activities of daily living. A staff member recruited either by a healthcare institution, home care organization, or private company to aid a patient in accomplishing Activities of Daily Living (ADLs).