Xerosis 

a.     dry skin caused by a decrease in the function of sebaceous and sweat gland secretion.

Xerostomia

Leukoplakia-

a.     a precancerous, slowly developing change in a mucous membrane, characterized by white, thickened, firmly attached patches that are slightly raised and sharply circumscribed.

Thermoregulation

a.     the ability to maintain body temperature in a safe range, controlled by the hypothalamus.

Vitamins

a.     organic compounds found naturally in foods or produced synthetically.

Trace element

a.     - an element essential to nutrition or physiologic processes, found in such minute quantities that analysis yields the presence of only trace amounts.

Theory-

an abstract statement formulated to predict, explain, or describe the relationships among concepts, constructs or events.

Senile purpura

a.     - red, purple, or brown areas commonly seen on the legs arms, resulting from hemorrhaging as the walls of the capillaries become increasingly fragile with age.

Senile lentigo

a.     skin disorder whereby clusters of melanocytes form areas of deepened pigmentation, often called age spots or liver spots.

Supplemen

a.     as in nutritional supplement, which is added to complete, makeup for a deficiency, and extend or strengthen the diet.

Sexuality

a.     - the sum of the physical, functional, and psychological attributes that are expressed by one’s gender identity and sexual behavior, regardless of the relationship to the sex organs or the procreation.

Social isolation

a.     a condition in which a feeling aloneness is experienced, which the person acknowledges as a negative or threatening state imposed by others.

Stimuli

a.     thing that excite or incite an organism or part to function, become active, or respond

Sphincter-

a.     a circular band of muscle fibers that constricts a passage or closes a natural opening in the body, such as the external anal sphincter, which closes the anus or the hepatic sphincter in the muscular coat of the hepatic veins near their union with the superior vena cava.

Sedative

a.     an agent that decreases functional activity, diminishes irritability, and allays excitement.

Seborrheic keratosis

a.     - skin disorder in which lesions ranging in color from light tan to black appears as slightly raised, warlike macules with distinct edges. 

Seborrheic dermatitis

a.     an unsightly skin disorder characterized by yellow, waxy crust that can be either dry or moist, which is caused by sebum production and occurs on the scalp, eyebrows, eyelids, ears, axilla, breasts, groin, and gluteal folds.

Screenings

a.     - which are to identify older people who are in need of further, more in-depth assessment. Examples are screening for high blood pressure, hearing problems, foot problems, and problems with activities of daily living.

Scabies

a.     - contagious disease caused by a human mite, characterized by intense itching of the skin and excoriation from scratching.

Role

a.     a socially accepted behavior or pattern

Ritual-

a.     the prescribed order of a religious ceremony

Retention

a.     - the inability to urinate or defecate.

Relaxation

- as in relaxation therapy, treatment in which patients are taught to perform breathing and relaxation exercise and to concentrate on a pleasant situation

Relationships

a.     - connections formed by the dynamic interaction of individuals who play interrelated roles.

Respite

a.     as in respite care; allows the primary caregiver to have time away from the constant demands of caregiving, thereby decreasing caregiver stress and the risk for abuse.

Rehabilitative focus

a.     the result of high expectations and high-level focus in planning care.

Rehabilitation

the restoration of an individual or a part to normal or near normal function after a disabling disease or injury.

Powerlessness

a.     - a perceived lack of control over a current situation or problem and the person’s perception that any action he or she take will not affect the outcome of the particular situation.

Palliative

a.     as in palliative treatment, therapy designed to relieve or reduce intensity of uncomfortable symptoms but not to produce a cure, such as narcotics to relieve pain.

Prophylactic

preventing the spread of disease

Psychosocial

a.     - pertaining to a combination of psychological and social factors. The psychosocial theories of aging attempt to explain why older adults have different responses to the aging process.

Pruritus-

itching; an uncomfortable sensation leading the urge to scratch, which may result in a secondary infection.

Pressure ulcers

a.     inflammations, sores, or ulcers in the skin over a body prominence occurring most commonly on the sacrum, elbows, heels, outer ankles, inner knees, hips, shoulders blades, and occipital bones of high-risk patients, most often aged, debilitated, immobilized, or cachectic patients.

Presbyopia

a.     - found in older adults people, farsightedness resulting from a loss of elasticity of the lens of the eye and resulting decrease in the power of accommodation.

Pigmentation

a.     - organic color produced in the body, as melanin.

Presbycusis

- hearing loss associated with aging particularly of higher-pitched sounds

Perception-

a.     the conscious recognition and interpretation of sensory stimuli that serve as a basis for understanding, learning, and knowing or for motivating a particular action or reaction.

Proteins

a.     - any of a large group of naturally occurring complex organic compounds, compounds, composed of amino acids, essential for tissue repair and healing.

Percussion-

a.     a technique of physical assessment in which the size, position, and density of structures under the skin are assessed by tapping the area and listening to the resonance of the sound. Depending on the amount of vibration(sound) heard, the presence of masses, fluid, or air can be determined.

Parasitic

a.     - of an organism living in or on and obtaining nourishment from another organism

Palpation

a.     - a method of physical assessment that used the sense of touch in the finders and hands to obtain data.

Otosclerosis

a hereditary condition of the boy labyrinth of the ear, in which there is formation of spongy bone, resulting in hearing loss.

Osteoporosis

a.     -disorder characterized by porous, brittle fragile bones that rare susceptible to breakage, caused by excessive loss of calcium from bone combined with insufficient replacement.

Orthodox

a.      - adhering to the accepted and traditional or established faith, especially in religion.

Nystagmus

a.     - rapid, involuntary eye movement.

 Noncompliance

a.     - failure of a patient to follow through with recommended health practices.

Neglect

a.     -passive form of abuse in which caregivers fail to provide for the needs of the person under their care.

Nocturnal

pertaining to or occurring during the night.

Nasogastric

pertaining to the nose and stomach, as in nasogastric intubation, the placement of nasogastric tube through eh nose into the stomach to relieve gastric distension by removing gas, gastric secretions, or food; to instill medication, food, or fluids; or to obtain a specimen for laboratory analysis.

Morgue

a.     - a unit of a hospital with facilities for the storage and autopsy of the dead. 

Meditation

a.     a sate of consciousness in which individual eliminates environmental stimulate from awareness so that the mind has a single focus, producing a sate for relaxation and relieve from stress.

Abuse

Intentional or unintentional mistreatment or harm-physical, psychological, emotional, or financial of another person.

Agility

ability to move quickly or smoothly

Alignment

- the placing or maintaining of body structures in their proper anatomic positions

Arthritis

any inflammatory condition of the joints, characterized by pain, swelling, heat, redness, or limitation, of movement.

Ageism:

is the disliking of aging and older people based on the belief that aging makes people unattractive, unintelligent, and unproductive.

Anxiety

a.     a vague, uneasy feeling, the source of which is often nonspecific or unknown to the individual.

Anemia

a.     a hematologic disorder marked by a decrease in hemoglobin in the blood to abnormally low levels, caused by a decrease in red blood cell production, an increase in red blood cell destruction, or a loss of blood. Iron-deficiency anemia results from inadequate intake of dietary iron, and pernicious anemia results from a deficiency in intrinsic factor secreted by the stomach.

Antioxidants

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Aphasia

abnormal neurologic condition in which language function is disordered or absent because of an injury to certain areas of the cerebral cortex. May result of a stroke.

Apnea

an absence of spontaneous breathing or respiration. 

Anorexia

- lack or loss of appetite, resulting in inability to eat

Alopecia

partial or complete lack of hair resulting from normal aging, endocrine disorder, drug reaction, anticancer medication, or skin disease.

Aseptic

free of living pathogenic organisms or infected material

Assessment

a.     in medicine and nursing, an evaluation or appraisal of a condition or the process of making such and evaluation, including the patient’s subjective report of the symptoms ad the examiner’s objective findings of the symptoms and the examiner’s objective findings of data obtained through laboratory tests, physical examination, and medical history.

Auscultation

a technique of assessment that uses the sense of hearing to detect sounds produced within the body, such as heart, lung, and bowel sounds

Basal metabolic rate

- rate at which the body uses calories

Biologic

pertaining to organisms; biologic aging views aging from a genetic perspective.

Body image

a.     - a person’s concept of his or her physical appearance.

Blood urea nitrogen

a.     - a measure of the amount of urea, the end product of protein metabolism, in the blood.

Boredom

- the state of being made weary by dullness, tedium, repetitiveness

Calorie

a.     unit of heat that is used to measure the available energy consumed food.

Caries

a.     as in dental caries, a tooth disease caused by the complex interaction of food, especially starches and sugars, with the bacterial that form dental plaque; cavities

Carbohydrates

a.     sugars and starches that constitute the main source of energy for all body functions, particularly brain functions, and that are necessary for the metabolism of other nutrients.

Cachexia

general ill health and malnutrition, marked by weakness and emaciation, usually associated with severe disease, such as tuberculosis or cancer.

Catheterization

a.     introduction of catheter ( a hollow flexible tube) into a body cavity or organ to inject to remove a fluid.

Constipation

difficulty in passing stools or incomplete or infrequent passage of hard stools.

Cheyne-stokes

as in respirations, an abnormal pattern of respirations, characterized by alternating periods of apnea and deep, rapid breathing.

Coordination

a.     harmonious functioning of muscles or groups of muscles in the execution of movements.

Custodial focus

a.     as in custodial care, services and care of nonmedical nature provided on a long-term basis, usually for convalescent and chronically ill individuals.

Confusion

a mental state characterized by disorientation regarding time, place, or person that leads to bewilderment, perplexity, lack of orderly thought, and the inability to choose or act decisively and to perform activities of daily living

Chronologic age

a.     the number of years a person has lived.

Cohort

term used by demographers to describe a group of people born within a specified time period.

Carcinoma

malignant epithelial neoplasm that tends to invade surrounding tissue and to metastasize to distinct regions of the body.

Cardiomegaly

enlargement of the heart, often related to congestive heart failure.

Cataract

clouding of the lens of the eye, developing over time and resulting in progressive, painless loss of vision.

Catastrophic reactions

excessively emotional responses

Cognition

pertaining to the mental processes of comprehension, judgment, memory, and reasoning, as contrasted with emotional processes.

Confusion

a.     a mental state characterize by disorientation regarding time, place, or person that leads to bewilderment, perplexity, lack of orderly thought, and the inability to choose or act decisively and to perform activities of daily living.

Coping

a.     - process by which a person deals with stress, solves problems, and makes decisions.

Creatinine

a substance formed from the metabolism of creatine, commonly found in blood. It is measured in blood and urine tests as an indicator of kidney function

Circadian

a.     as in circadian rhythm, a pattern based on a 24-hour cycle, especially the repetition of certain physiologic phenomena such as sleeping and eating.

Advance directives

are legal documents that allow you to convey your decisions about end-of-life care ahead of time. They provide a way for you to communicate your wishes to family, friends and health care professionals, and to avoid confusion later on.

Demographics

the statistical study of human populations.

Dementia

a general term for a permanent or progressive organic mental disorder, characterized by personality changes, confusion, disorientation of intellectual functioning and by impaired control of memory, judgment, and impulses.

Delirium

a mental disorder characterized by disturbances in cognition, attention, memory, and perception. Symptoms include confusion, disorientation, restlessness, clouding consciousness, incoherence, fear anxiety, and excitement. It also often characterized by illusions; hallucinations, usually of visual origin, and at times delusions

Depression

a.     a mental state of depressed mood characterized by feelings of sadness, despair, and discouragement, ranging from normal feelings of “the blues” all the way to major clinical depression. Resembling the grief and mourning that follow bereavement, the symptoms of depression include feelings of low self-esteem, guilt, and self- esteem, guilt, and self-reproach; withdrawal from interpersonal contact; and somatic symptoms such as eating and sleep disorders.

Defecation

the elimination of feces from the digestive tract through the rectum

Dexterity

a.     skillfulness in the use of one’s hands or body; the ability to perform fine, manipulative skills.

Diversional

a.     - as in diversional activity, stimulation from or interest or engagement in recreational or leisure activities.

Dyspnea

a distressful sensation of uncomfortable breathing that may be caused by certain hear conditions, strenuous activity, or anxiety.

Diarrhea

a.     -the frequent passage of loose, watery stools.

Distribution

a.     As in drug distribution, the pattern of distribution of drug molecules by various tissues after the chemical enters the circulatory system.

Diuretics

drugs that promote the formation and excretion of urine.

Diurnal

occurring daily, as sleeping and eating

Dysarthria

a.     Difficult, poorly articulated speech, resulting from interference in the control and execution over muscles of speech, usually caused by neurologic damage.

Dysphagia

a.     difficulty swallowing

Dysfunctional

unable to function normally

Distress

a.     an emotional or physical sate of pain, sorrow, misery, suffering, or discomfort.

b.     Diverticulosis- the presence of pouchlike herniation’s( diverticula) throughout the muscular layer of the colon, which develop because of weaknesses in the intestinal mucosa.

Edema

abnormal accumulation of fluid in the interstitial spaces of tissues, caused by increased capillary fluid pressure

Electrolyte

a.     - an element of compound that, when melted or dissolved in water or another solvent, dissociates into ions and is able to conduct and electric current.

Enemas

a.     the introduction of a solution into the rectum for cleansing or therapeutic purposes.

Ethical dilemmas

Questions or problems related to moral values or principles

Exudate

fluid, cell, or other substance that has been slowly discharged from cells or blood vessels through small pores or breaks in cell membranes.    

Fatigue

A state of exhaustion or a loss of strength or endurance, such as may follow strenuous physical activity.

Fear

A response to a perceived threat that is consciously recognized as a danger

Fecal impaction

an accumulation of hardened feces in the rectum or sigmoid colon that the individual is unable to pass or move.

Feedback

a.     - information produced by a receiver and perceived by a sender that informs the sender of the receiver’s reaction to the message.

Free radical

Unstable molecule produced by the body during the normal processes of respiration and metabolism or following exposure to radiation and pollution. Free radicals are suspected of causing damage to the cells, DNA, and immune system.

Geriatrics

a.     the branch of medicine dealing with the physiologic characteristics of aging and the diagnosis and treatment of diseases affecting the aged.

Gerontology

the study of old age

Gerontic nursing

nursing care or service provided to older adults

Geropharmacology

the study of how older adults respond to medication

Gerontophobia

a.     : is the fear of growing old, or a hatred or fear of the elderly

Glaucoma

Disease characterized by increase fluid pressure within the eye that may result in damage to the retina.

Grief-

a.     a combination of sorrow, loss, and confusion that comes when someone or something of value is lost.

Halitosis

offensive bad breath, resulting from poor oral hygiene, dental or oral infections, ingestion of certain foods, tobacco use, or some systemic diseases such as the odor of acetone in diabetes.

Hyperkeratosis

overgrowth of the epithelial layer of the skin

Health maintenance

a systemic program planned to prevent illness, to maintain maximal function, and to promote health

Health promotion

lifestyle and health care practices that improve overall health and quality of life

Helplessness-

a feeling of a loss of control or ability, usually after repeated failures, or of being immobilized or frozen by circumstances beyond one’s control, with the result that one is unable to make autonomous choices

Hypothyroidism

a.     .

- Reduced function of the thyroid gland. Symptoms include cold intolerance, dry skin, dry and thin body hair, constipation, depression, and lack of energy

Heatstroke

resulting condition that occurs if heat exhaustion, a gradually developing condition caused by water or sodium depletion, is not recognized and treated.

Hematocrit

a.     a measure of the packed cell volume of red blood cells, expressed as a percentage of the total blood volume.

Hemoglobin

a complex protein-iron molecule that is responsible for the transport of oxygen and carbon dioxide within the bloodstream

Hemiparesis

muscular weakness of one side of the body

Hemiplegia- 

a.     paralysis of one side of the body.

Heterogeneous

as in a heterogeneous society, a more complex one in which the members of many divers cultures wit a different historic and cultural experiences interact

Hypnotic

a class of drugs often used as sedatives

Hysterectomy

a.     surgical removal of the uterus, to treat fibroid tumors, pelvic inflammatory disease, severe recurrent endometrial hyperplasia, uterine hemorrhage and precancerous and cancerous conditions of uterus.

Hospice-

a.     a multi-disciplinary system of family-centered care designed to assist the terminally ill person to be comfortable and to maintain a satisfactory lifestyle through the passes of dying.

Hopelessness

: A state in which an individual sees limited or no alternatives or personal choices available and is unable to mobilize energy on his or her own behalf

Imaging

a.     formation of a mental picture of representation of someone or something using the imagination.

Immunologic

a.     related to the immune system. The immunologic theory of aging proposes that aging is a function of changes in the immune system, which weakens over time to make an aging person more susceptible to disease.

Ischemic

decrease supply of oxygenated blood, as in ischemic heart disease, a pathologic condition caused by lack of oxygen in cells of myocardium.    

Incontinence

inability to control urination or defecation

Insomnia

chronic inability to sleep or to remain asleep throughout the night; wakefulness; sleeplessness.

Inspection

the most commonly used method of physical assessment in which the senses of vision, smell, and hearing are used to collect data.

Intelligence

a.     the potential ability and capacity to acquire, retain, and apply experience, understanding, knowledge, reasoning, and judgment in coping with new experiences and in solving problems.

Intercourse

sexual intercourse between individuals; coitus.

Interstitial

pertaining to the space between cells, as interstitial fluid, or between organs

Intracellular

pertaining to the interior of a cell; as in intracellular fluid, a fluid within cell membranes throughout most of the body, containing dissolved solutes that are essential to electrolytic balance and healthy metabolism

Intravascular-

a.     pertaining to the inside of a blood vessel

Intermittent claudication

a.     cramp like pains in the calve caused by poor circulation of the blood to the leg muscles, commonly associated with atherosclerosis( the tissues of the lower extremities are deprived of oxygen); manifested only at certain times, usually after walking; and relieved by rest.

Isometric

as in isometric exercise, a form of active exercise in which muscle tension is increased while pressure is applied against stable resistance    

Isotonic

- as in isotonic exercise, a form of active exercise in which muscle contract and cause movement. Because there is no significant change in resistance throughout the movement, the force of contraction remains constant

Perception

a.     the conscious recognition and interpretation of sensory stimuli that serve as a basis for understanding, learning, and knowing or for motivating a particular action or reaction.

Pharmacodynamics

medications are more or less sensitive on older adults

Pharmacokinetic

a.     the study of the action of drugs within the body, including the mechanisms of absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion: onset of action: duration of effect: biotransformation: and effects and routes of excretion of the metabolites of the drug.

Polypharmacy

the prescription, administration, or use of more medications than are clinically indicated, a common problem among older adults

Powerlessness

a perceived lack of control over a current situation or problem and the person’s perception that any action he or she takes will not affect the outcome of the particular situation

Presbycusis

hearing loss associated with aging, particularly of high-pitched sounds    

Reminiscence

a.     or life review is a phenomenon that is especially important to older adults. The need for older adults to talk about their lives, the need to feel that their existence has made a difference.

-Sundown syndrome

a.     agitated behaviors, which are worse late in the day

Sensory deprivation

a.     is the deliberate reduction or removal of stimuli from one or more of the senses.

Sensory overload

a.     is a condition where one or more of the senses are strained and it becomes difficult to focus on the task at hand.

Values & beliefs

a.     vary widely, and are influenced by age, gender, culture, religious background, and life experiences

Acute reversible dementia

a.     Hypoxia, Hypotension, Anemias, Ventilatory problems, heart failure, Environmental changes, fluid and electrolyte imbalance, Metabolic disturbances- acidosis, hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia, elevated blood urea nitrogen, Drug toxicity, malnutrition, transient ischemic attacks, decreased sensory input, sensory overload, hypothyroidism, brain tumor, infection, subarachnoid, hemorrhage, subdural hematoma-Can be reversed.

Chronic irreversible dementia

a.     Alzheimer’s disease, anoxia, untreated acute dementia, Pick’s disease, Creuztfeldt Jakob disease, Alcoholism, untreated abnormal blood pressure, hydrocephalus, heavy metal toxicity, multiple cerebral infarction-Can’t be reversed.

Laxatives

laxative agents that promote bowel evacuation by increasing the bulk of the feces, softening the stool, or lubricated the intestinal wall.

 Malnutrition

a.     any disorder of nutrition, resulting from an unbalanced, insufficient, or excessive diet ro from impaired absorption, assimilation, or use of foods.

Masturbation

sexual self-gratification; sexual activity in which the penis or clitoris is stimulated, usually to orgasm, by means other than intercourse.

Memory-

the mental faculty or power that enables one to retain and to recall, through unconscious associative processes, previously experienced sensations, impressions, ideas, concepts, and all information that has been consciously learned

Minerals

a.     inorganic chemical elements that is required in many of the body’s functions.

Mantra

from Hinduism; a sacred verbal formula repeated prayer, meditation, or incantation, such as an invocation of a god, a magic spell, or a syllable or portion of scripture containing mystic potentialities.

Orthostatic Hypotension

a.     - condition that occurs because the circulation does not respond quickly to postural changes.

Religious

having belief in or reverence for God or a deity.

Hyperthermia

a much higher than normal body temperature.

Hypothermia

a.     a core body temperature of 95 F or lower.