Care Jargon Explained: an A–Z Glossary

Arranging care comes with its own bewildering language — a fog of abbreviations, official terms and acronyms. This plain-English A–Z translates the words you'll meet most often, so you can face the paperwork with confidence.

Keep this page handy while you research homes, read assessments and talk to social workers. Where we have a fuller guide on a term, we've linked to it. The terms below apply across the UK, with a note where nations differ.

A–C

Advance care plan — a record of a person's wishes for their future care and treatment, made while they can still decide, in case they can't later.

Attendance Allowance — a non-means-tested benefit for people over State Pension age who need help with personal care due to illness or disability. See benefits you can claim.

Capacity (mental capacity) — whether a person can understand and make a particular decision for themselves. It's decision-specific and presumed unless assessed otherwise.

Care Inspectorate — the body that inspects and regulates care services in Scotland (the equivalent of England's CQC).

Care needs assessment — a free assessment by the council of what help a person needs. The gateway to arranging and funding care. See our guide.

Care plan — the document setting out how a person's care needs will be met day to day, agreed with them and reviewed regularly.

CIW (Care Inspectorate Wales) — the regulator of care services in Wales.

CHC (NHS Continuing Healthcare) — a package of care fully funded by the NHS for people with significant, primarily health-related needs. Not means-tested. See our guide.

CQC (Care Quality Commission) — the independent regulator that inspects and rates care services in England (Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement, Inadequate). See how to read a CQC report.

D–F

Deferred payment agreement — an arrangement where the council pays your care-home fees now, repaid later (usually from your home). See our guide.

Deprivation of assets — deliberately reducing your savings or giving away your home to avoid care fees. Councils can assess you as if you still had the money.

Domiciliary care — care provided in a person's own home ("home care"), such as help with washing, dressing and meals. See care home vs home care.

DoLS (Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards) — legal protections ensuring that when a person's freedom is restricted for their safety, it's lawful and in their best interests. See our guide.

EMI — an older term ("Elderly Mentally Infirm") still sometimes used for homes specialising in dementia or mental-health needs. "Dementia care" is the modern term.

Financial assessment (means test) — the council's assessment of income and capital to decide how much you contribute towards care. See the means test explained.

FNC (Funded Nursing Care) — an NHS contribution towards the nursing element of fees for residents in a nursing home who qualify.

G–N

Local authority — the council responsible for assessing and (where eligible) funding social care in its area.

LPA (Lasting Power of Attorney) — a legal document letting someone you trust make decisions on your behalf if you can't. There are two types: property & financial affairs, and health & welfare. See our guide.

Means test — see Financial assessment.

Nursing home — a care home with qualified nurses on site 24 hours a day, for people with medical or nursing needs. See residential vs nursing.

P–R

Palliative / end-of-life care — care focused on comfort, dignity and quality of life for people with a terminal or advanced illness. See our guide.

Personal care — help with everyday tasks like washing, dressing, toileting and eating. Free for those assessed as needing it in Scotland; means-tested elsewhere.

PIP (Personal Independence Payment) — a non-means-tested benefit for working-age adults with a long-term health condition or disability.

Residential care — a care home providing accommodation, meals and personal care (but not on-site nursing). See types of care homes.

Respite care — short-term care that gives a regular carer a break, or supports recovery after illness. See our guide.

RQIA — the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority, which regulates care services in Northern Ireland.

S–Z

Safeguarding — the duty to protect adults at risk from abuse, neglect or harm. Anyone can raise a safeguarding concern with the council.

Self-funder — someone paying their own care fees in full because their capital is above the means-test limit.

Sheltered housing — self-contained homes for older people with some shared facilities and often a warden, but without the personal care of a care home.

Social services (adult social care) — the council department responsible for assessing and arranging care for adults.

Top-up fee — an extra amount, usually paid by a third party, to cover the gap between what the council pays and a more expensive home's fees. See top-up fees explained.

12-week property disregard — in England, a period at the start of a permanent care-home stay when the value of your home is ignored in the means test.