Terms Used In Iowa Code > Chapter 231C - Assisted Living Programs

• Adult day services: means adult day services as defined in section 231D. See Iowa Code 231C.2
• Affirmed: In the practice of the appellate courts, the decree or order is declared valid and will stand as rendered in the lower court.
• Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
• Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
• Assisted living: includes the provision of housing and assistance with instrumental activities of daily living only if personal care or health-related care is also included. See Iowa Code 231C.2
• Bequest: Property gifted by will.
• Child: includes but shall not be limited to a stepchild, foster child, or legally adopted child and means a child actually or apparently under eighteen years of age, and a dependent person eighteen years of age or over who is unable to maintain the person's self and is likely to become a public charge. See Iowa Code 252A.2
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Consumer: means any one of the following:
   a. See Iowa Code 216E.1
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• Court: shall mean and include any court upon which jurisdiction has been conferred to determine the liability of persons for the support of dependents. See Iowa Code 252A.2
• Department: means the department of inspections and appeals or the department's designee. See Iowa Code 231C.2
• Dependent: shall mean and include a spouse, child, mother, father, grandparent, or grandchild who is in need of and entitled to support from a person who is declared to be legally liable for such support. See Iowa Code 252A.2
• Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
• Devise: To gift property by will.
• Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
• Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. ^Source:
• Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
• following: when used by way of reference to a chapter or other part of a statute mean the next preceding or next following chapter or other part. See Iowa Code 4.1
• Governmental unit: means the state, or any county, municipality, or other political subdivision or any department, division, board, or other agency of any of these entities. See Iowa Code 231C.2
• Health-related care: means services provided by a registered nurse or a licensed practical nurse, on a part-time or intermittent basis, and services provided by other licensed health care professionals, on a part-time or intermittent basis. See Iowa Code 231C.2
• Instrumental activities of daily living: means those activities that reflect the tenant's ability to perform household and other tasks necessary to meet the tenant's needs within the community, which may include but are not limited to shopping, cooking, housekeeping, chores, and traveling within the community. See Iowa Code 231C.2
• Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
• lawful enforcement: includes but is not limited to the following:
   (1) Contacting or interviewing any tenant of an assisted living program in private at any reasonable hour and without advance notice. See Iowa Code 231C.10
• Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). ^{Source: OCC}
• Medication setup: means assistance with various steps of medication administration to support a tenant's autonomy, which may include but is not limited to routine prompting, cueing and reminding, opening containers or packaging at the direction of the tenant, reading instructions or other label information, or transferring medications from the original container into suitable medication dispensing containers, reminder containers, or medication cups. See Iowa Code 231C.2
• Nursing facility: means a licensed nursing facility as defined in section 135C. See Iowa Code 249L.2
• Occupancy agreement: means a written agreement entered into between an assisted living program and a tenant that clearly describes the rights and responsibilities of the assisted living program and a tenant, and other information required by rule. See Iowa Code 231C.2
• Party: means a petitioner, a respondent, or a person who intervenes in a proceeding instituted under this chapter. See Iowa Code 252A.2
• person: means individual, corporation, limited liability company, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership or association, or any other legal entity. See Iowa Code 4.1
• Personal care: means assistance with the essential activities of daily living which may include but are not limited to transferring, bathing, personal hygiene, dressing, grooming, and housekeeping that are essential to the health and welfare of the tenant. See Iowa Code 231C.2
• Power of attorney: A written instrument which authorizes one person to act as another's agent or attorney. The power of attorney may be for a definite, specific act, or it may be general in nature. The terms of the written power of attorney may specify when it will expire. If not, the power of attorney usually expires when the person granting it dies. ^{Source: OCC}
• program: means an entity that provides assisted living. See Iowa Code 231C.2
• property: includes personal and real property. See Iowa Code 4.1
• Recognized accrediting entity: means a nationally recognized accrediting entity that the department recognizes as having specific assisted living program standards equivalent to the standards established by the department for assisted living programs. See Iowa Code 231C.2
• Rule: includes "regulation". See Iowa Code 4.1
• Significant change: means a major decline or improvement in the tenant's status which does not normally resolve itself without further interventions by staff or by implementing standard disease-related clinical interventions that have an impact on the tenant's mental, physical, or functional health status. See Iowa Code 231C.2
• state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories, and the words "United States" may include the said district and territories. See Iowa Code 4.1
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• Substantial compliance: means a level of compliance with this chapter and rules adopted pursuant to this chapter such that any identified insufficiencies pose no greater risk to tenant health or safety than the potential for causing minimal harm. See Iowa Code 231C.2
• Tenant: means an individual who receives assisted living services through a certified assisted living program. See Iowa Code 231C.2
• Tenant advocate: means the office of long-term care ombudsman established in section 231. See Iowa Code 231C.2
• Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
• United States: includes all the states. See Iowa Code 4.1
• year: means twelve consecutive months. See Iowa Code 4.1