Glossary

Navigating the seniors housing maze can be difficult at first. These simple definitions will help you with the terminology you will run into along the way. If you have questions about these terms, have additional senior housing terms you would like to suggest we add, or need additional help, please contact a Pathway community near you.

To see a term’s definition, click the title.

Validation

A communication technique that offers a person with dementia respect, understanding, and empathy. Validation is an acceptance of the person’s condition, shown by “entering the person’s world” to provide comfort, trust, and nurturing safety.

Vascular Dementia

A condition of memory loss and confusion that is caused by many small strokes in the brain.

Ventricular Fibrillation (V-Fib)

Abnormal heart rhythm in which the heart does not pump blood.

Verbal Cueing

Spoken words that signal for someone to begin an action.

Very Low-Income (Families)

Families whose incomes are no higher than 50% of the area median income.

Vouchers/Certificates

Vouchers and certificates used to be completely distinct programs with many similarities and a few unique difference. In 1998 a rule was issued merging the two programs into one, a new “Housing Choice Voucher” program which is administered by the local Public Housing Authority (PHA). This Section 8 rental voucher program provides a promise of tenant-based rental assistance payments to an income-qualified household, which then finds a unit to rent. If the unit meets the Section 8 quality standards, the PHA then pays the landlord the amount equal to the difference between 30 percent of the tenant’s adjusted income (or 10 percent of the gross income or the portion of welfare assistance designated for housing) and the PHA determined payment standard for the area. The rent must be reasonable compared with similar unassisted units. In September 2000, HUD’s Office of Public and Indian Housing issued a notice (Notice PIH 2000-41) implementing authority to use Section 8 vouchers in assisted living facilities. Unlike HUD’s former certificate program, in which maximum subsidy levels were governed by the FMR, maximum subsidies under the new Housing Choice Voucher program are governed by a payment standard. Rather than being required to set subsidy levels at the FMR that applies to the entire FMR area – which may be too low or too high for the particular communities they serve – PHAs have discretion, without requesting HUD approval, to set voucher payment standard amounts anywhere between 90 and 110 percent of the published FMR for each unit size. PHAs also may set different payment standard amounts within this range for designated parts of the FMR area. This gives PHAs substantial flexibility to adapt the voucher program to local market conditions.