Geriatrics Foundations

Flashcards covering key concepts in geriatric care, including theories of aging, types of care, and definitions related to the elderly.

Inlogeism

A negative attitude towards aging and older adults based on the belief that aging makes people unattractive.

Age Discrimination

The illegal discrimination based on a person's age that reaches beyond emotions.

Respite care

Temporary relief care for caregivers that benefits both the caregiver and the elderly.

Life review

A reflective process where older adults review life experiences to find meaning and resolve conflicts.

Physicians Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST)

A medical order that communicates a patient's preferences regarding medical treatment in the event of a medical emergency.

Biological age

The physical/physiological condition of the body, as opposed to chronological age.

Functional age

The ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs).

Elder abuse

Forms of abuse that include physical, financial, emotional, neglect, and abandonment.

Advance Directives

Legal documents that outline a person's wishes regarding medical treatment and end-of-life care.

Wear and Tear Theory

A theory suggesting that aging occurs as body systems wear out over time.

Free Radical Theory

A theory stating that aging is caused by oxidative damage to cells.

Life expectancy

An average length of time that a person may expect to live, which has increased in recent generations.

Social age

The roles and relationships a person has in society, which can influence their identity and social interactions.

Types of Medicare

Different parts of Medicare that cover various health services such as inpatient hospital care and outpatient coverage.

Continuity Theory

The theory that maintaining past behaviors and habits promotes well-being in older adulthood.

Psychosocial Theory

A theory exploring how personal responses to aging and social roles change over a person's life.