Starting or working in care can feel like learning a new language. Between rotas, reports, and care plans, you’ll often come across abbreviations that everyone seems to know, except when you’re new!

To make things easier, we’ve created a simple list of key acronyms every caregiver should know. Think of it as your friendly guide to sounding (and feeling) confident at work.

‍

🩺 Care and Support Terms

• ADL – Activities of Daily Living: everyday tasks such as washing, dressing, and eating.
  
  
• LTC – Long-Term Care: ongoing support for people with chronic illness or disability.
  
  
• MAR – Medication Administration Record: where carers record medicines given.
  
  
• PPE – Personal Protective Equipment: gloves, aprons, masks, and similar items for infection control.
  
  
• RIDDOR – Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations: rules for reporting incidents and accidents.
  
  
• UTI – Urinary Tract Infection: a common condition often monitored closely in care settings.
  
  
• BM – Bowel Movement: often recorded in daily logs to monitor health and wellbeing.
  
  

🧾 Care Planning and Documentation

• CQC – Care Quality Commission: the independent regulator for health and social care in England.
  
  
• Care Plan – a document describing a person’s needs, preferences, and daily routines.
  
  
• DNR / DNAR – Do Not Resuscitate / Do Not Attempt Resuscitation: medical instructions on emergency treatment.
  
  
• MCA – Mental Capacity Act: legislation guiding decisions for individuals who may lack capacity.
  
  
• POA – Power of Attorney: a legal arrangement allowing someone to make decisions on another’s behalf.
  
  
• SOVA – Safeguarding of Vulnerable Adults: processes to protect adults from harm or neglect.
  
  

💬 Health Professionals and Communication

• PCP – Primary Care Physician: the main doctor responsible for a person’s medical care.
  
  
• PT – Physiotherapy / Physiotherapist: supports movement, strength, and recovery.
  
  
• OT – Occupational Therapist: helps people stay independent through daily activities and adapted equipment.
  
  
• HCA – Health Care Assistant: a professional supporting nurses or care teams.
  
  
• RM / RGN – Registered Manager / Registered General Nurse: roles with specific clinical or leadership responsibility.
  
  

💻 Systems and Reporting

• EPR / EMR – Electronic (Patient/Medical) Record: digital systems storing care notes and records.
  
  
• GDPR – General Data Protection Regulation: protects personal data and confidentiality.
  
  
• Handover – sharing important updates at the start or end of a shift.
  
  

Make Care Management Simpler with Elate

Elate brings everything you need; rotas, notes, support plans, care needs assessments, eMAR, invoicing, and reporting, together in one secure, easy-to-use platform built with and for care teams. 

We understand that your priority is providing personal, high-quality care not getting caught up in admin. That’s why Elate takes care of the details, streamlining everything from scheduling to medication management, so you have clear visibility and full control across your service.

Knowing what these abbreviations helps build confidence, ensures accuracy in record-keeping, and improves communication across care teams. Whether you’re writing notes, talking to a nurse, or updating a client’s care plan, these acronyms help keep everyone on the same page.

We’ve created a simple, printable Care Acronyms Cheat Sheet you can keep in your folder or share with your team.

‍

🩵 Talk Care Like a Pro

Your quick guide to common care terms and abbreviations

(By Elate — making care management simpler)

‍

🩺 Care and Support

Acronym

Meaning

Description

ADL

Activities of Daily Living

Everyday self-care tasks like washing, dressing, eating, and mobility.

LTC

Long-Term Care

Ongoing support for individuals with chronic illness or disability.

MAR

Medication Administration Record

Used to record when medicines are given.

PPE

Personal Protective Equipment

Gloves, aprons, masks, and other safety gear.

UTI

Urinary Tract Infection

Common infection often monitored in care settings.

BM

Bowel Movement

Recorded to monitor digestion and general health.

RIDDOR

Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations

Legal requirement for reporting workplace incidents.

‍

🧾 Care Planning and Documentation

Acronym

Meaning

Description

CQC

Care Quality Commission

Regulates and inspects health and social care in England.

DNR / DNAR

Do Not Resuscitate / Do Not Attempt Resuscitation

Medical instruction regarding emergency treatment.

MCA

Mental Capacity Act

Protects people who may lack capacity to make certain decisions.

POA

Power of Attorney

Legal right to make decisions for someone else.

SOVA

Safeguarding of Vulnerable Adults

Protects adults from abuse, neglect, or harm.

Care Plan

–

Outlines a person’s needs, goals, and preferences.

‍

💬 Health Professionals and Roles

Acronym

Meaning

Description

PCP

Primary Care Physician

The main doctor responsible for ongoing medical care.

PT

Physiotherapist

Helps people improve movement, strength, and recovery.

OT

Occupational Therapist

Supports independence through activities and equipment.

HCA

Health Care Assistant

Supports nurses and provides hands-on care.

RM / RGN

Registered Manager / Registered General Nurse

Qualified professionals responsible for care delivery and standards.

‍

💻 Systems and Reporting

Acronym

Meaning

Description

EPR / EMR

Electronic Patient / Medical Record

Digital systems storing care and health records.

GDPR

General Data Protection Regulation

Protects personal and sensitive data.

Handover

–

Sharing key updates between shifts to ensure continuity of care.

‍