RRF recognizes that interpretations may vary for key terms and topics used in the fields of aging and philanthropy. The following are definitions of terms frequently used by RRF. Please contact RRF if you have questions about these or other terms.
Aging-related Terms
- Economic security: This means ensuring that older persons have adequate income to live comfortably. Social Security, pensions, and voluntary savings are generally accepted as the three components of the U.S. retirement income system. RRF’s interest in economic security is focused on efforts to protect and ensure a standard of living for seniors.
- Affordable and supportive housing: Older adults overwhelmingly want to “age in place.” There is significant need to increase the availability of affordable housing options that provide supportive care. RRF’s interest in this topic recognizes that older adults experiencing financial hardship and functional decline often need to live in affordable settings that provide access to additional supports for maintaining as much independence as possible.
- Coordinating care when older persons transfer from one care setting to another: Commonly referred to as “transitional care or “care coordination,” this topic refers to actions designed to ensure the coordination and continuity of health care. RRF is particularly interested in the “transitional” aspect of care coordination that occurs around “transfer points” such as a hospital discharge. Older persons may be transferred to another care facility or return to their homes. Care coordination strives to reduce serious complications that can occur during these times.
- Person-centered long-term care: Also referred to as “culture change,” this term refers to a movement underway that puts the “patient” or “person” at the center of the care that is delivered. For example, “person-centered care” in nursing homes typically includes the following standards:
- Greater resident autonomy/exercise of personal choice
- Consistent staffing
- Improved communication between residents and staff
- A less bureaucratic organizational approach
- A more home-like environment.
- Mental health: RRF’s interest in mental health is particularly focused on mood disorders such as depression and anxiety.
Philanthropy-related Terms
- General operating support: This type of funding supports an organization’s operations as a whole rather than a particular project. RRF does not currently provide general operating support.
- Evidence-based practice/models: This term typically refers to approaches or interventions for which systematic empirical research has provided evidence of statistically significant effectiveness as treatments for specific problems. Relatively robust and sophisticated evaluation and research methods are necessary for a model to fit within RRF’s interpretation of this term.