Glossary

• Compassionate Care home page  
• Learn about the Aetna Compassionate Care Program 
• Access the resources page for help with decisions and planning
• Completing an advance directives/living will
• Search our glossary of terms

Accelerated Death Benefit / ADB	A provision in most life insurance policies that allows a person to receive a portion of their life insurance money early.
Advance Directive	This legal document tells your doctor what kind of care you want or do not want. It will be used if you are too sick to make medical decisions on your own. It is sometimes also called a “living will.” Visit the resources page for more information.
Assisted Living Facility / ALF	A residential living arrangement that provides care and health services for people who require assistance with: bathing, dressing and taking medications. Check with your insurance company related to coverage.
Do Not Hospitalize / DNH	Do not hospitalize allows you to decide what setting you want your care provided. When a person chooses not to be hospitalized they are deciding to remain in their current location.
Do Not Intubate / DNI	Do not intubate- you do not wish to have a breathing tube and or machine to breathe for you.
Do Not Resuscitate / DNR	Do Not Resuscitate/DNR means that you do not want to have cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) or other treatment to restart your heart and breathing should they stop. Some of these treatments include chest compressions, electric stimulation, and medications.
Grief / Bereavement	Grief is a reaction to a major loss. It is most often an unhappy and painful emotion. Grief may be triggered by the death of a loved one. People also can experience grief if they have an illness for which there is no cure, or a chronic condition that affects their quality of life. The end of a significant relationship may also cause a grieving process.
Hospice	Patient directed care delivered in a hospice facility, medical facility or home setting which provides medical, spiritual and emotional support for people at or near the end of life.
Life Sustaining Treatment Consideration	Life sustaining treatments are medical procedures that support and keep you alive when your body is not able to do it on its own. You may want to consider what life sustaining treatment you want in your advanced directives.
Living Will	See Advance Directives
Medical Power of Attorney/Health Care Proxy	A written document in which you designate someone you trust to make healthcare decisions for you. This document is effective only at a time when you are unable to communicate your own care wishes.
Palliative Care	This is care that is used to treat pain and side effects of a disease. The care is not curative in nature but focuses on quality of life using a holistic approach.
Skilled Nursing Facility / SNF	A center that provides services according to physicians order. These services may include skilled services, including: therapies, sub-acute, nursing and Long Term Care.