| presbyopia | The inability of the eyes to focus sharply on nearby objects, caused by a loss of elasticity of the lens that occurs with advancing age.
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| cataracts | Opacity of the lens of the eye that impairs vision and can cause blindness.
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| osteoporosis | The loss of bone density, causing bones to become weak, porous, and more prone to fractures.
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| glaucoma | A disease in which fluid inside the eye is under abnormally high pressure; can lead to loss of peripheral vision.
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| arthritis | Inflammation of a joint or joints, causing pain and swelling.
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| dementia | Deterioration of mental functioning (including memory, concentration, and judgment) resulting from a brain disorder; often accompanied by emotional disturbances and personality changes.
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| Alzheimer's disease | A disease characterized by a progressive loss of mental functioning (dementia), caused by a degeneration of brain cells.
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| life expectancy | The average length of time a person is expected to live.
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| Social Security | A government program that provides financial assistance to people who are unemployed, disabled, or retired (and over a certain age); financed through taxes on business and workers.
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| gerontologist | One who studies the biological, psychological, and social phenomena associated with aging and old age.
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| brain death | A medical definition of death as the cessation of brain activity indicated by various diagnostic criteria, including a flat EEG reading.
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| electroencephalogram (EEG) | A record of the electrical activity of the brain (brain waves).
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| clinical death | A determination of death made according to accepted medical criteria.
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| cellular death | The total breakdown of metabolic processes at the level of the cell.
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| will | A legal instrument expressing a person's intentions and wishes for the disposition of his or her property after death.
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| testator | A person who makes a will.
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| intestate | Referring to the situation in which a person dies without having made a legal will.
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| palliative care | A form of medical care aimed at reducing the intensity or severity of a disease by controlling pain and other discomforting symptoms.
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| hospice | A program of care for dying patients and their families.
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| persistent vegetative state | A condition of profound unconsciousness in which a person lacks normal reflexes and is unresponsive to external stimuli, lasting for an extended period with no reasonable hope of improvement.
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| passive euthanasia | The practice of withholding (not starting) or withdrawing (stopping) treatment that could potentially sustain a person's life, with the recognition that without such treatment, death is likely to occur.
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| physician-assisted suicide (PAS) | The practice of a physician intentionally providing, at the patient's request, lethal drugs or other means for a patient to hasten death with the understanding that the patient plans to use them to end her or his life.
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| advance directive | Any statement made by a competent person about his or her choices for medical treatment should he or she become unable to make such decisions or communicate them in the future.
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| living will | A type of advance directive that allows individuals to provide instructions about the kind of medical care they wish to receive if they become unable to participate in treatment decisions.
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| Uniform Donor Card | A consent form authorizing the use of the signer's body parts for transplantation or medical research upon his or her death.
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| embalming | The process of removing blood and other fluids and replacing them with chemicals to disinfect and temporarily retard deterioration of the corpse.
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| grief | A person's reaction to loss as manifested physically, emotionally, mentally, and behaviorally.
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| Parkinson's disease | A neurological disorder caused by a deficiency of the neurotransmitter dopamine. Symptoms include muscle rigidity, tremors, and difficulty walking.
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| age-related macular degeneration (AMD) | A deterioration of the macula (the central area of the retina) leading to blurred vision and sensitivity to glare; some cases can lead to blindness.
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| active euthanasia | A deliberate act intended to end another person's life; voluntary active euthanasia involves the practice of a physician administering-at the request of a patient-medication or other intervention that causes death.
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| health care proxy | A type of advance directive that allows an individual to appoint another person s an agent in making health care decisions in the event he or she becomes unable to participate in treatment decisions; also known as a durable power of attorney for health care.
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| bereavement | The objective event of loss.
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| mourning | The process whereby a person actively copes with grief in adjusting to a loss and integrating it into his or her life.
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