Older Adults week 7

Vocabulary terms and definitions related to the physical, mental, and psychosocial challenges of late adulthood as covered in Chapter 16.

Older adulthood

The period of life beginning at 65 years of age and continuing until death.

Integrity (State of wholeness)

A developmental stage where an individual accepts the worth and uniqueness of their lifestyle, accepts their life and contributions, and finds order and meaning.

Despair

A state experienced by older adults who have not reached a sense of wholeness or integrity in their lives.

Neuroplasticity

The brain's ability to adapt and change; evidence that aging is no longer considered a natural decline in health and abilities.

Medicare and Medicaid

The programs from which most older Americans receive health care benefits.

Elder abuse

Any action that takes advantage of an older person, their emotional well-being, or their property.

Depression

The most common mental health disorder of late adulthood, which is often underdiagnosed and can mimic the symptoms of dementia.

Reminiscence therapy

A therapeutic intervention used to treat depression and promote mental health by encouraging older adults to focus on memories and past experiences.

Validation therapy

A therapeutic approach used for depression and mental health in older adults to confirm their feelings and reality.

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI)

A type of antidepressant drug that has fewer side effects in elders but requires monitoring for orthostatic hypotension and gastrointestinal symptoms.

Standards of geriatric nursing care

Clinical guidelines developed by the American Nurses Association (ANA) to provide and measure the nursing care delivered to older adults.

Doll therapy

A newer intervention used in the promotion and prevention of mental health problems in older adults.

Orthostatic hypotension

A condition involving a drop in blood pressure when standing up, which must be monitored in older adults taking SSRI antidepressants.

Psychosocial adaptations

The process of adjusting to challenges in late adulthood related to money, housing, healthcare adequacy, and the loss of important social connections.