Another name for older adult
▪Geriatrics
▪Aging
▪Aged
▪Over-the-hill
▪Elderly
▪Senescent
▪Senior
What is GERIATRICS
▪The term geriatrics comes from the Greek word geron meaning “old man”, and iatros meaning
“healer”. However, geriatrics is sometimes called medical gerontology
AGING
▪Is not merely the passage of time. It is the manifestation of biological events that occur in a span
of time.
▪People aged differently.
▪Change in aging body happened through process, some systems slow down, while others lose
their “fine tuning”.
▪In conclusion as a general rule, slight, gradual changes are common and expected as one ages.
Gerontological Nursing
▪Gerontology, or geriatric, nursing is a specialty focused on the care of older adults.
▪Gerontology nursing is a broad specialty where nurses may work in long-term care facilities,
with home healthcare services and in hospice, caring for patients with limited mobility, impaired
mental abilities, and those in pain
Ageism
▪Ageism, also spelled agism, is stereotyping and/or discrimination against individuals or groups
on the basis of their age.
▪This may be casual or systematic.
▪The term was coined in 1969 by Robert Neil Butler to describe discrimination against seniors,
and patterned on sexism and racism.
The seven signs of ageing
