Comprehensive Aging and End-of-Life Concepts for Students

Ageism

Prejudice or discrimination against people based on their age, usually older adults.

Stereotypical ageism

Assuming older adults are weak or incompetent.

Institutional ageism

Policies that disadvantage older adults.

Interpersonal ageism

Negative treatment from others due to age.

Alzheimer's disease

A progressive brain disorder that destroys memory and thinking skills.

Early-stage Alzheimer's

Mild memory loss and confusion.

Middle-stage Alzheimer's

Worsening memory and daily functioning.

Late-stage Alzheimer's

Severe cognitive decline and loss of independence.

Cataracts and glaucoma

Two common age-related eye conditions that impair vision.

Cataracts

Clouding of the eye's lens.

Open-angle glaucoma

Slow pressure buildup damaging the optic nerve.

Angle-closure glaucoma

Sudden pressure increase causing pain and vision loss.

Categories of age ranges

Standard divisions used to describe stages of adulthood.

Young-old

Ages 65-74.

Old-old

Ages 75-84.

Oldest-old

Ages 85 and older.

Children's responses to death

How children understand and react to death at different ages.

Preschool understanding

View death as temporary or reversible.

School-age understanding

Begin to grasp permanence.

Adolescent understanding

Understand biological finality but struggle emotionally.

Cognitive reserve

The brain's ability to compensate for damage through alternative pathways.

Neural reserve

Efficient existing brain networks.

Neural compensation

New networks formed to adapt.

Lifestyle reserve

Built through education, activity, and engagement.

Costa and McCrae's Big Five traits

A personality model describing five major traits.

Openness

Curiosity and creativity.

Conscientiousness

Organization and responsibility.

Extraversion

Sociability and energy.

Death education

Teaching people about death, dying, and grief.

Formal education

Classes or training programs.

Informal education

Discussions and community programs.

Professional education

Training for healthcare workers.

Death of a spouse

Losing a marital partner through death.

Sudden loss

Unexpected death causing shock.

Anticipated loss

Long illness leading to grief before death.

Complicated loss

Prolonged or intense grief.

Death of children

The loss of a child at any age.

Infant loss

Death shortly after birth.

Childhood loss

Death during early years.

Adult child loss

Losing a grown child.

DNR

A medical order instructing providers not to perform CPR.

Hospital DNR

Applies during inpatient care.

Out-of-hospital DNR

Applies in community settings.

Partial DNR

Limits specific interventions.

Episodic vs semantic memories

Two types of long-term memory.

Episodic memory

Personal events and experiences.

Semantic memory

Facts and general knowledge.

Autobiographical memory

Mix of both types.

Erikson's psychosocial theory

A lifespan theory describing eight stages of social development.

Identity vs role confusion

Adolescence stage in Erikson's psychosocial theory.

Intimacy vs isolation

Young adulthood stage in Erikson's psychosocial theory.

Integrity vs despair

Late adulthood stage in Erikson's psychosocial theory.

Euthanasia

Intentionally ending life to relieve suffering.

Active euthanasia

Directly causing death.

Passive euthanasia

Withholding treatment.

Voluntary euthanasia

Patient requests it.

Fear of death

Anxiety or worry about dying or death.

Personal fear

Fear of one's own death.

Process fear

Fear of dying painfully.

Unknown fear

Fear of what happens after death.

Fluid vs crystallized intelligence

Two types of adult intelligence.

Fluid intelligence

Problem-solving and reasoning.

Crystallized intelligence

Accumulated knowledge.

Functional vs brain death

Two ways of defining death.

Functional death

No heartbeat or breathing.

Brain death

No brain activity.

Whole-brain death

Irreversible loss of all brain functions.

Functional vs chronological age

Functional age is ability-based; chronological age is years lived.

Gerontology

The scientific study of aging.

Great-grandparenthood

Becoming a great-grandparent.

Remote great-grandparents

Limited involvement.

Companionate great-grandparents

Supportive and fun.

Involved great-grandparents

Active caregiving.

Grief, mourning, bereavement

Emotional and social responses to loss.

Grief

Emotional reaction.

Mourning

Cultural expression of grief.

Bereavement

Period after a loss.

Hospice

Care focused on comfort for terminally ill patients.

In-home hospice

Care provided at home.

Inpatient hospice

Care in a facility.

Respite hospice

Short-term relief for caregivers.

Kubler-Ross' stages of grief

A model describing emotional reactions to dying or loss.

Denial

Refusing to accept reality.

Anger

Frustration about the loss.

Bargaining

Trying to negotiate for more time.

Life expectancy

The average number of years a person is expected to live.

Average life expectancy

Typical lifespan.

Healthy life expectancy

Years lived in good health.

Maximum lifespan

Biological limit of human life.

Miscarriage

Loss of a pregnancy before 20 weeks.

Early miscarriage

Before 12 weeks.

Late miscarriage

Between 12 and 20 weeks.

Recurrent miscarriage

Multiple losses.

Most common causes of death by age group

Leading causes of death vary by age.

Childhood causes

Accidents and illness.

Adult causes

Cancer and heart disease.

Older adult causes

Chronic diseases.

Neugarten's personality theories of aging

Theories describing how personality changes in later life.

Integrated personality

Accepts aging positively

Armored-defended personality

Resists aging