Later Life, Aging, and End-of-Life Care – Key Vocabulary

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering biological, psychological, social, and legal concepts related to later adulthood and end-of-life issues.

Old Age (Social Construct)

Life stage defined more by social agreement and functional status than by strict biology; UN sets the threshold at 60+ years.

Young-Old

Adults in their 60s and early 70s who are generally healthy and financially secure.

Old-Old

Adults in their late 70s through centenarians who are more likely to be frail and economically vulnerable.

Socio-emotional Selectivity Theory

Theory that shrinking time horizons make older adults prioritize emotionally meaningful goals and relationships.

Positivity Effect

Age-related tendency to attend to and remember positive information more than negative.

Integrity vs. Despair

Erikson’s final psychosocial stage (65+), balancing life satisfaction (integrity) against regret (despair).

Social Security (U.S.)

Federal safety-net program funded by payroll taxes; intended to prevent destitution, not ensure comfortable retirement.

Pension Plan

Employer-linked retirement fund that provides income after employment; declining in prevalence in the U.S.

Bridge Employment / Encore Work

Paid work (often part-time) pursued after formal retirement, linked to better mental and physical health.

Intergenerational Equity

Societal balance between supporting older and younger generations in distribution of resources.

Presbyopia

Age-related difficulty focusing on near objects due to stiffening of the eye’s lens.

Cataracts

Clouding of the lens causing blurred vision; common in later life.

Glaucoma

Eye disorder involving increased intra-ocular pressure that can damage peripheral vision.

Macular Degeneration

Loss of central vision due to degeneration of retinal receptors in the macula.

Presbycusis

Age-related, irreversible hearing loss, especially for higher frequencies.

Elder Speak

Simplified, loud, slow speech pattern often used with older adults; can be patronizing.

Osteoporosis

Disease causing porous, brittle bones; increases fracture risk in old age.

Osteoarthritis

Degenerative joint disease where cartilage wears down, causing pain and stiffness.

Essential Tremor

Involuntary shaking (often hands) that worsens with age.

Activities of Daily Living (ADLs)

Basic self-care tasks (bathing, dressing, eating); impairment signals need for assistance.

Mobility Impairment

Difficulty moving around; affects ~14 % of 60–74-year-olds and 50 % of 85+ adults.

Selective Optimization with Compensation

Memory and coping strategy: focus on key tasks, practice intensely, and use external aids for shortcomings.

Procedural Memory

Long-lasting memory for physical skills (e.g., riding a bike); most resilient to aging.

Semantic Memory

Memory for facts and general knowledge; moderately resistant to decline.

Episodic Memory

Memory for personal events; most vulnerable to age-related loss.

Reminiscence Bump

Enhanced recall for memories from adolescence and early adulthood seen in later life.

Memory Self-Efficacy

Belief in one’s ability to remember; higher levels promote better performance.

Dementia

Progressive, irreversible decline in cognitive function interfering with daily life.

Alzheimer’s Disease

Most common dementia, marked by neural atrophy, senile plaques, and neurofibrillary tangles.

Vascular Dementia

Cognitive decline caused by multiple small strokes or vascular problems.

Senile Plaques

Amyloid protein deposits found between neurons in Alzheimer’s brains.

Neurofibrillary Tangles

Twisted Tau protein fibers inside neurons characteristic of Alzheimer’s pathology.

APOE-ε4 Gene

Genetic allele linked to elevated Alzheimer’s risk.

Palliative Care

Medical approach focused on comfort and quality of life rather than cure for serious illness.

Hospice

Home- or facility-based multidisciplinary palliative care for terminally ill patients and their families.

Advanced Directive

Legal document specifying medical wishes if one becomes unable to communicate.

Living Will

Type of advanced directive detailing desired life-sustaining treatments when incapacitated.

Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care

Document naming a surrogate decision-maker for medical choices if one is incapacitated.

Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) Order

Medical order instructing professionals not to perform CPR if cardiac or respiratory arrest occurs.

Do Not Hospitalize (DNH) Order

Directive to forgo hospital transfer for nursing-home residents during medical crises.

Passive Euthanasia

Allowing death by withholding or withdrawing life-sustaining treatment.

Active Euthanasia

Deliberate action to hasten death (e.g., lethal injection); illegal in most nations.

Physician-Assisted Suicide

Doctor provides lethal medication for patient self-administration; legal only in limited jurisdictions.

Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)

Front-line caregiver in nursing homes assisting residents with ADLs.

Assisted Living Facility

Residential setting for elders needing help with ADLs but not 24-hour nursing care.

Continuing-Care Retirement Community

Complex offering independent living, assisted living, and nursing home care on one campus.

Home Health Services

Paid caregivers deliver medical or personal care in an elder’s own home.

Health (Socioeconomic) Gap

Universal pattern where higher socioeconomic status predicts longer, healthier life.

Fetal Programming Hypothesis

Idea that prenatal conditions (e.g., low birth weight) set lifelong health trajectories.

Jogging Female Heart Hypothesis

Proposal that menstrual-cycle-related heart-rate fluctuations give women cardiovascular benefits that extend longevity.

Telomere Shortening

Progressive loss of chromosome end caps with cell division; linked to biological aging.

Middle Knowledge

State in which terminally ill people intellectually accept but emotionally struggle with impending death.

Kubler-Ross Stages of Dying

Five emotional stages—Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance—experienced by some facing death.

Thanatology

Interdisciplinary study of death, dying, and bereavement.

Successful Aging

Maintaining physical health, cognitive vitality, and social engagement into later life.