In Gerontology
Select the first letter of the word from the list above to jump to appropriate section of the glossary. If the term you are looking for starts with a digit or symbol, choose the '#' link.
Abuse
Acetylcholine
Transmitters in areas of the brain involved in memory function.
They are markedly decreased in Alzheimer's patients
Active life expectancy
Activities of Daily Living
Activity Theory
No process within society that mandates the withdrawal of the older individual from social
activity at large.
Advance Directive
Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) of 1967
Ageism
Age Pigment Theory
Aging Grading
Aging in Place
Alexis Carrel
Alzheimer's Disease
American Association of Retired Persons
Andropause
Represent a change in male hormonal balance.
Antagonistic Pleiotropy
Antibodies
A specialized group of proteins which work to ward off infections
and invasions by foreign substances.
Antioxidants
Proteins and other molecules that defend agains free radicals.
Anxiety
Aphasia
The loss of the ability to use language (spoken and written).
Apoptosis
Programmed cell death, cell suicide.
Arteriosclerosis
Vascular degeneration that causes thickening and loss of
resiliency of the arterial wall.
Arthritis
Assisted Care
Assisted Living Facility (ALF)
Assisted Suicide
Atherosclerosis
Specific type of arteriosclerosis. Characterized by an
accumulation of connective tissue and fatty streaks in the
arterial walls.
Average Lifespan
The average of individual lifespans for members of a
cohort.
Basal Cell Carcinoma
The most common form of skin cancer.
Basal Metabolic Rate
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
Bereavement
Grief experienced by loss of a loved one due to death.
Bias
Big Five
Biogerontology
The study of biological processes giving rise to old age.
Birth Cohort
To identify individuals born in the same year or the same common psychosocial events
Birth Rate
Birth Rate and Fecundity
Body Weight
Brain Weight
Caloric Restriction
Process of reducing caloric intake in order to increase
the lifespan of a given species.
Carrel
Conducted experiments with cell doubling. Argued that
cells were immortal; later proved wrong.
Cellular Theories of Aging
Theories which are based on changes that occur in structural and
functional elements of cells with the passage of time.
Centenarians
Individuals 100 years of age and older
Center For Medicare and Medicaid Servcies (CMMS)/Health Care
Central Nervous System
Chronic Health Conditions
Chronicity
Chronological age
Age in years
Cognitive disorders
Collagen
Comfort (Alex)
Proponent of programmed aging theory. Death is intrinsic.
Comorbidity
Concurrent health conditions. Occurs when an individual is affected by several
diseases simultaneously
Compassionate Ageism
Compression of Morbidity
A shortening in the length of time between onset of
disease and death.
Compression of Mortality
Congregate Housing
Cortical Bone
Outer layer of bone; dense and compact.
Cross-Linking Theory
Cross-Sectional Studies
Studies which compare characteristics among different age groups
at one time.
Crystallized Intelligence
Form of mental ability that includes material learned over the total life span and includes verbal ability,
verbal reasoning, problem solving, and basic knowledge of one's world.
Death Rate
Defined Contribution plans
Employee has the major responsibility for how to plan for retirement.
Defined Pension Plan
Computed directly on sme stated combination of employee age, years on the job, and wage history.
Delirium
Change in consciousness or cognitive ability with an acute onset.
Dendrites
Receptor membranes of neurons.
Dementia
Global deterioration of intellectual and cognitive
function. Characterized by defects in orientation, memory,
intellect, judgement, and affect.
Demographic Transition
The shift from high fertility and high mortality to low fertility
and low mortality. As a result of this shift, the population of
older people within a general population increases.
Demography
Study of characteristics of a population.
Dependency ratio
Depression
State of mood characterized by emotional (affective), somatic (bodily or vegetative), and interpersonal
distress.
Dermal Papilla
Diabetes Mellitus
Disability
Disability Adjusted Life Expectancy
Disengagement Theory
Mutual process of disengagement in activities expected by the individual and by society.
Disposable Soma Theory
Diversity
Difference
Dopamine
Neurotransmitter associated with Parkinson's disease.
DRIP
Durable Power of Attorney
Dysdifferentiation Theory
Dysphagia
Difficulty in swallowing.
Echoic Memory
Elder Fraud
Elderhostel
Endocrine System
Epidemiology
The study of characteristics of diseases and illnesses within a
population.
Error Catastrophe Theory
Euthanasia
Exchange Theory
Individual do not disengage, there is a process by which the activities of the individual change
according to physical, mental, social, and financial resources.
Expenditure patterns
Extended family
Extrinsic aging theories
Fertility
Fibroblast
Financing Administration (HCFA)
Fluid Intelligence
Represents the ability to perform novel tasks well or take order, well-established skills
and use them to solve a new problem
Force of mortality
A number representing the likelihood that an individual of a given age will survive into some higher age bracket
Formal Support
Four-legged Chair of Income
Free Radical Theory
Free Radicals
Molecules (rarely occurring in nature) that contain one or more
unpaired electrons. Result from breaks in chemical bonds. They
combine rapidly with other free radicals. They are dangerous
because: a) they attack other molecules indiscriminately, b) they
produce oxygen consuming chain reactions, and c) they cause
crosslinking of other molecules.
Fries
Compression of morbidity
Functional age
Ability of the individual to perform desired activities with ease and grace
Functional Health
Functional Mental Disorders
Gender Gaps
Environmental and genetic factors cause females to live
longer than males.
Gene Regulation
General Well-being
State of being or doing well in life.
Geriatrics
The branch of medicine that deals with the problems and diseases
associated with old age.
Gerontology
The study of aging and age-related processes and events.
Geropsychiatry
Part of psychiatry that focuses on diagnosis and treatment of mental illness in the elderly.
Geropsychology
Scientific field concerned with the multiple aspects
of normal and abnormal changes in cognition, personality, well-being,
and mental health that occur with aging in the later years of life.
Glaucoma
Eye disease which damages optic nerve fibers. Results from an
increase in intraocular pressure.
Glossadynia
Grandparent role
Hayflick (Leonard)
Proved Carrel's argument for cell immortality wrong.
Conducted experiments with cell doublings and found cells
typically doubled 50 +/- 10 times.
Hayflick Limit
Cells double 50 +/- 10 times and then they die. Evidence that
cells are not immortal.
Health Perception
Heterogeneity
Variability
Homeostasis
Adjustments and adaptations to changes. The ability to maintain
constant function.
Hutchinson-Guilford Disease
Infantile form of progeria syndrome. Associated with stunted
growth, skin atrophy, and hypertension.
Iatrogenicity
Medically induced morbidity and/or mortality.
Iconic Memory
Idiosyncrasy credit
Immunologic Theory
Inflation
Informal Care Networks
Informal Support
Informed Consent
In Vitro
In Vivo
Instrumental Activities of Daily Living
Intermediate Care
Inter-rater reliability
Internal consistency
The ability of a single dimensional assessment tool to assess a common pheonmenon
Intra-rater reliability
Intrinsic aging theories
Labeling
Learned Helplessness
A parallel concept to the social breakdown syndrome posit considerable responsibility on the individual
Level of Care Acute
Life Expectency
Average amount of life (time/years) for a cohort.
Lifespan
Life Satisfaction
A sense of well-being and may be assessed in terms of mood, satisfaction with relations with
others and with achieved goals, self-concepts, and self-perceived ability to cope with daily life.
Lipofuscin
Living Will
Locus of Control
Individual's view of determinants of events.
Longevity
Longitudinal Studies
Studies in which the same group of individuals are examined at
regular intervals throughout a given time period.
Long-term Memory
Lung Vital Capacity
Mandatory Retirement
Marital Roles
Marital Satisfaction
Across adult life span is most easily described by a U-shaped curve
Maximum Lifespan
The longest life of an individual of a certain species (current
human maximum lifespan: 115-120).
Melanoma
The most dangerous form of skin cancer.
Menopause
Multidimensional change in woman, the core feature of which is the end of menses with
a concomitant decrease in estrogen and progesterone.
Metabolic Rate
Migration
Mitosis
Cell division.
Molecular Theories of Aging
Theories which revolve around the idea that all individuals
within a species have a similar length of life and that
individuals from different species have different lifespans.
Morbidity
Patterns of illness.
Modernization Theory
How societies evolve over time in the face of changing levels of technology and occupations.
Mortality
Patterns of death.
Multigenerational Families
Several generations of the same family live together.
Multiple Infarct Senile Dementia
Multiple Jeopardy
Multiplicity
Near Poor
Identify those whose incomes or financial resources exceed current federal guidelines defining
poverty but who have very limited economic resources.
NEO-PR or NEO-PIR
Neuritic Plaques
Rare in normal aging but common in individuals with Alzheimer's
disease.
Neuroendocrine Theory
Neurofibrillary Tangles
Intracellular tangles masses of fibrous elements.
Neurotransmitters
Normal Aging
Objective Health
Old-Old
Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987 (OBRA)
Opitmal Arousal
Orgel
Proponent of error catastrophe theory.
Orthostatic Hypotension
Osteoarthritis
Non-systemic, degenerative joint disease which damages
the cartilage.
Osteoblasts
Responsible for bone formation.
Osteoclasts
Responsible for bone resorption.
Osteoporosis
Disease characterized by low bone mass and structural
deterioration of bone tissue. Disease causes bone fragility and
fractures.
Paranoia
Perpsecutory delusion, and suspiciousness in the elderly often are seen in conjunction with onset
and progression of dementia.
Parkinson's Disease
Perodontitis
Inflammation of the peridontal membrane.
Personality
Person-Environment Congruence
Match of the older individual's abilities, needs, and interests with the physical and
social/cultural environment.
Pharmacodynamics
The processes involved in the interaction between a drug
and its effect on an organ.
Pharmokinetics
The handling of a drug within the body, including its
absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination.
Physiology
Functions and vital processes of an organism, organs, or system
of organs.
Physiological senescence
Preretirement Planning and Programs
Presbyalgos
Age-related changes in the perception of pain.
Presbycusis
Age-related hearing loss. Progressive. Higher frequencies are
lost first.
Presbygusia
Age-related changes in taste.
Presbyopia
Age-related changes in eyesight. The lens hardens and loses its
ability to change shape and focus.
Presbyosmia
Pressure Sores (decubitus ulcers)
Primary aging
Private Pensions
Programmed aging
Basic processes of senescence are controlled at a preprogrammed level within cells
Projective Techniques
Pencil and paper inventories
Proprietary Homes Operated as a business for profit
Proprioception
Psychological age
Psychological Autopsy
Public nursing homes
Owned by the state or some local governmental agency
Reaction Time
Recall And Recognition
Reliability The accuracy of measurement of the tool or instrument employed
Residual Volume
Respite Care
Retirement
Retrospective Falsification
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Systemic disease of the peripheral joints which begins in the
soft tissue lining of joints and is characterized by swelling,
warmth, and tenderness.
Role Realignment
Sandwich generation
Represents those who care not only for their own children but also act in a caregiver role for
their own parent(s).
Sarcopenia
Schizophrenia
Mental illness associated with delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech and behavior;
and loss of care or emotions about things that the individual found interesting and emotionally
satisfying in the past.
Secondary aging
Senescence
The condition of being old, state of old age
characteristic of the later years of the lifespan. Senescence is
universal, intrinsic, progressive, and deleterious.
Senile Macular Degeneration
The degeneration of the macula, which provides the structural
basis for high visual acuity.
Senility
Cognitive changes often observed in older adults
Senior Power
Sensitivity
A measure refers to its ability to identify
Short-term Memory
Social Breakdown Syndrome
Loss of self-esteem, increased dependence, increased passivity, and propensity to a sick role.
Social Security Act
Societal Support Ratio
Social Space
Sociological age
Somatic Mutation
Somatization
Somatoform Disorders
Specificity
A measure is its ability to exclude
Stages of Dying
Stages of Grief
Subjective Health
Substance Abuse
Successful Aging
Sun Downing
Agitated behavior and confusion during the later afternoon and early evening that is often
seen in individuals with Azheimer's disease.
Superoxide Dismutase
Antioxidant enzyme.
Survival Curves
State
Symptoms
Systemic Level Theories of Aging
Includes neuroendocrine and immunologic
Telomeres
Tail portion of chromosomes. They shrink and shed with
each cell division. Their length gives some indication of the
number of divisions a cell has undergone.
Terminal Drop
Changes that occur as individuals approach death
Three-legged Stool of Income
Income in the later years of life.
Trabecular Bone
Interior part of bone. It has a honeycomb structure and is
spongy.
Trait
Enduring personality characteristic that remains stable with normal aging across the adult life span.
Trisomy 21
Usual Life Span
Voluntary Nursing Homes
Not-for-profit and often are sponsored by churches and service organizations
Walford (Roy)
Proponent of immune system theory.
Wear and Tear Theory
Werner's Disease
Adult form of progeria syndrome. Onset occurs between 20 and 30
years of age. Characterized by gray hair, rough skin, and
problems with joints.
Working Memory
Xerostomia
Dry mouth due to decline in salivary secretion.
Young-Old
65 to 75 years of age