Geriatric Rehabilitation Glossary
105 terms total — 24 showing — Last updated 15 Sep 2026
orthostatic hypotension
A significant drop in blood pressure upon standing — defined as a fall of ≥20 mmHg systolic or ≥10 mmHg diastolic — that is a major cause of falls and dizziness in geriatric rehabilitation patients.
10-Metre Walk Test
A clinical assessment of walking speed in which a patient walks a 10-metre distance, used to quantify gait speed as an i...
Activities of Daily Living
A classification of routine self-care tasks — including bathing, dressing, eating, toileting, and mobility — used as fun...
ADL
Abbreviation for Activity (or Activities) of Daily Living, used extensively in geriatric rehabilitation documentation to...
advance care plan
A documented record of a patient's preferences regarding future medical treatment, care goals, and end-of-life wishes, d...
AFO
Abbreviation for Ankle–Foot Orthosis; an external brace spanning the ankle and foot used to correct foot drop and stabil...
Aged Care Assessment Team
A government-funded multidisciplinary team that assesses older people's eligibility for, and appropriate level of, forma...
Aged Care Quality Standards
The regulatory framework governing quality and safety in Australian Commonwealth-funded aged care services, against whic...
Agitation Scale
A standardised rating instrument used to quantify the severity and frequency of agitated behaviours in older adults, par...
ankle–foot orthosis
A rigid or semi-rigid external device that spans the ankle and foot to control foot drop, stabilise the ankle, and impro...
apraxia
An acquired neurological disorder characterised by the inability to execute learned, purposeful motor tasks despite inta...
Barthel Index
A validated 10-item ordinal scale measuring a patient's functional independence in basic activities of daily living, wid...
bed rest deconditioning
The progressive deterioration of physiological and functional capacity resulting from prolonged immobility, particularly...
Berg Balance Scale
A 14-item observational clinical tool used to assess static and dynamic balance in older adults, with each item scored 0...
bone protection therapy
A pharmacological strategy—typically involving bisphosphonates, denosumab, or calcium and vitamin D supplementation—used...
BPPV
A common vestibular disorder in older adults characterised by brief episodes of dizziness triggered by changes in head p...
BPSD
Acronym for Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia; a cluster of non-cognitive symptoms—including agitation,...
CAM
Abbreviation for the Confusion Assessment Method, a validated delirium screening tool used in geriatric rehabilitation a...
canalith repositioning procedure
A manoeuvre-based treatment for BPPV in which the clinician guides the patient through a sequence of head and body posit...
care transition
The movement of a patient between healthcare settings, levels of care, or care providers during the course of an illness...
carer burden
The physical, emotional, social, and financial strain experienced by an informal caregiver as a result of providing ongo...
Clinical Frailty Scale
A validated 9-point ordinal scale assessing frailty in older adults, ranging from 'very fit' to 'terminally ill', used t...
Cognitive Rehabilitation
A structured, goal-oriented therapeutic process aimed at restoring or compensating for cognitive deficits arising from n...
cognitive-communication disorder
A communication impairment arising not from language or speech mechanisms per se, but from underlying cognitive deficits...
compensatory strategy
A technique or adaptation that allows a patient to accomplish a task by working around an impairment rather than restori...