| Nursing Home Abuse Legal Glossary
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Damages: Money payment recovered
in the courts for an injury or loss caused by an unlawful act or
omission or negligence of another.
Decedent: A deceased person.
Deductible: The dollar amount a
person covered under a health plan must pay before the insurance plan
begins to pay.
Defendant: In civil law the party
defending a lawsuit; the party against whom the plaintiff seeks to
recover damages from.
Deficiency: The federal government
issues a deficiency to a nursing home when it fails to meet a federal
regulation. State governments can also issue deficiencies when a nursing
home fails to meet a state requirement.
Dehydration: This serious medical
condition occurs when a person's loss of bodily fluid is more than his
or her intake of fluid.
Dementia: The irreversible
deterioration of mental faculties with emotional disturbance resulting
from organic brain disorder.
Deposition: Testimony of a witness
taken under oath, which is used in the discovery process of trial
preparation.
Diagnosis: The specific name for a
person's medical problem.
Direct Evidence: Generally,
eyewitness evidence.
Discharge Planning: The procedure
used by a health-care professional or social worker to determine the
needs of a patient moving from one level of care to another, such as a
move from a hospital to a nursing home.
Dual Eligibles: People entitled to
Medicare and also eligible for Medicaid.
Durable Medical Equipment:
Reusable medical equipment ordered by a physician for a person to use in
a nursing home. Examples include wheelchairs, walkers, and hospital
beds.
Duty: An obligation to conform to
a particular standard of care which is considered reasonable by most.
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