NURSING HOME ABUSE LEGAL GLOSSARY
Glossary of Nursing Home Abuse Law Terms
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z #
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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.