While the Caregiver Forum is filled with tips, advice and support, it may also contain abbreviations and acronyms that may be unfamiliar to some readers. We have compiled a list of both professional and colloquial abbreviations commonly used on AgingCare.
Abbreviation/Acronym |
Meaning |
AC |
AgingCare |
ACM |
AgingCare Moderator (Admin) |
AD |
Alzheimer’s Disease |
ADC |
Adult Day Care |
ADLs |
Activities of Daily Living |
AL |
Assisted Living |
ALF |
Assisted Living Facility |
Alz |
Alzheimer’s Disease |
APS |
Adult Protective Services |
BF |
Boyfriend |
BID |
Twice Per Day |
BIL |
Brother-in-Law |
BM |
Bowel Movement |
BP |
Blood Pressure |
BPD |
Borderline Personality Disorder |
BTDT |
Been There Done That |
BTW |
By the Way |
CC |
Credit Card |
CCRC |
Continuing Care Retirement Community |
CELA |
Certified Elder Law Attorney |
CHF |
Congestive Heart Failure |
CMS |
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services |
CNA |
Certified Nursing Assistant |
COPD |
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease |
CS |
Community Spouse |
DD |
Dear/Darling Daughter |
DH |
Dear/Darling Husband |
DHS |
Department of Human Services |
DIL |
Daughter-in-Law |
DME |
Durable Medical Equipment |
DS |
Dear/Darling Son |
DNR |
Do Not Resuscitate |
DON |
Director of Nursing |
DPOA |
Durable Power of Attorney |
DVT |
Deep Vein Thrombosis |
DW |
Dear/Darling Wife |
Dx |
Diagnosis |
ECG or EKG |
Electrocardiogram |
EOAD |
Early Onset Alzheimer’s Disease |
EOL |
End of Life |
ESRD |
End-Stage Renal Disease |
FAST |
Functional Assessment Staging Test |
FIL |
Father-in-Law |
FMLA |
Family Medical Leave Act |
FOG |
Fear, Obligation, Guilt |
FTD |
Frontotemporal Dementia |
GF |
Girlfriend or Grandfather |
GM |
Grandmother |
HHA |
Home Health Aide, Home Health Agency |
HIPAA |
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act |
HTH |
Hope This Helps |
IADLs |
Instrumental Activities of Daily Living |
IBS |
Irritable Bowel Syndrome |
IL |
Independent Living |
IMHO |
In My Humble/Honest Opinion |
IMO |
In My Opinion |
JTWROS |
Joint Tenants with Rights of Survivorship |
LBD |
Lewy Body Dementia |
LO |
Loved One |
LOL |
Laugh Out Loud |
LPN |
Licensed Practical Nurse |
LTC |
Long-Term Care |
LTCI |
Long-Term Care Insurance |
LTCO |
Long-Term Care Ombudsman |
MC |
Memory Care |
MCI |
Mild Cognitive Impairment |
MERP |
Medicaid Estate Recovery Program |
MIL |
Mother-in-Law |
MMSE |
Mini-Mental State Exam |
MSA |
Medical Savings Accounts |
NM |
Narcissistic Mother |
NH |
Nursing Home |
NPD |
Narcissistic Personality Disorder |
NPH |
Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus |
NPO |
Nothing by Mouth |
OCD |
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder |
OP |
Original Poster |
OT |
Occupational Therapist, Occupational Therapy |
OT |
Off Topic |
OTOH |
On The Other Hand |
PACE |
Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly |
PCP |
Primary Care Physician |
PD |
Personality Disorder |
PD |
Parkinson’s Disease |
PEG |
Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy Tube |
PICC |
Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter |
PNA |
Personal Needs Allowance |
POA |
Power of Attorney |
POD |
Payable on Death |
POLST |
Physician Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment |
POV |
Point of View |
PT |
Physical Therapist, Physical Therapy |
QD |
Every Day |
QOL |
Quality of Life |
RCF |
Residential Care Facility |
RN |
Registered Nurse |
SIB |
Sibling |
SIL |
Sister-in-Law or Son-in-Law |
SNF |
Skilled Nursing Facility |
SO |
Significant Other |
SSA |
Social Security Administration |
SSDI |
Social Security Disability Insurance |
SSI |
Supplemental Security Income |
SW |
Social Worker |
TBH |
To Be Honest |
TBI |
Traumatic Brain Injury |
TIA |
Thanks in Advance |
TIA |
Transient Ischemic Attack |
TMI |
Too Much Information |
TOD |
Transfer on Death |
Troll |
A person who purposely posts offensive comments |
TY |
Thank You |
TYIA |
Thank You in Advance |
UTI |
Urinary Tract Infection |
VA |
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs |
VD |
Vascular Dementia |
(( )) |
Hugs |