apply the information. A glossary is included at the end of the chapter to help you master key terms, and plenty of tables and figures summarize key information. Web sites are included as a means of expanding your knowledge. Use this text as a guidebook for your study. Use all the resources available, including your instructors, to immerse yourself in the study of the aging process. By the end of this book, you will have learned about the essential competencies needed to provide excellent care to older adults. DEFINITIONS Gerontology is the broad term used to define the study of aging and/or the aged. This includes the biopsychosocial aspects of aging. Under the umbrella of gerontology are several subfields including geriatrics, social gerontology, geropsychology, geropharmacology, financial gerontology, gerontological nursing, and gerontological rehabilitation nursing, to name a few. What is old and who defines old age? Interestingly, although “old” is often defined as over 65 years of age, this is an arbitrary number set by the 55805_CH01_0001_0025.qxd 2/19/09 1:01 PM Page 8 Roles of the Gerontological Nurse 9 Social Security Administration. Today, the older age group is often divided into the young old (ages 65–74), the middle old (ages 75–84), and the old old, very old, or frail elderly (ages 85 and up). However, these numbers merely provide a guideline and do not actually define the various strata of the aging population. Among individuals, vast differences exist between biological and chronological aging, and between the physical, emotional, and social aspects of aging. How and at what rate a person ages depends upon a host of factors that will be discussed throughout this book. The aging population as well as theories and concepts related to aging are discussed further in Chapters 2 and 3. Geriatrics is often used as a generic term relating to the aged, but specifically refers to medical care of the aged. For this reason, many nursing journals and texts have chosen to use the term gerontological nursing instead of geriatric nursing. Social gerontology is concerned mainly with the social aspects of aging versus the biological or psychological. “Social gerontologists not only draw on research from all the social sciences—sociology, psychology, economics, and political science—they also seek to understand how the biological processes of aging influence the social aspects of aging” (Quadagno, 2005, p. 4). Geropsychology is a branch of psychology concerned with helping older persons and their families maintain wellbeing, overcome problems, and achieve maximum potential during later life. Geropharmacology is the study of pharmacology as it relates to older adults. The credential for a pharmacist certified in geropharmacology is CGP (certified geriatric pharmacist). Financial gerontology is another emerging subfield that combines knowledge of financial planning and services with a special expertise in the needs of older adults. Cutler (2004) defines financial gerontology as “the intellectual intersection of two fields, gerontology and finance, each of which has practitioner and academic components” (p. 29). This field is further discussed in Chapter 25. Gerontological rehabilitation nursing combines expertise in gerontological nursing with rehabilitation concepts and practice. Nurses working in gerontological rehabilitation often care for older adults with chronic illnesses and long-term functional limitations such as stroke, head injury, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, spinal cord injury, arthritis, joint replacements, and amputations. The purpose of gerontological rehabilitation nursing is to assist older adults to regain and maintain the highest level of function and independence possible while preventing complications and enhancing quality of life. Gerontological nursing, then, falls within the discipline of nursing and the scope of nursing practice. It involves nurses advocating for the health of older persons at all levels of prevention. Gerontological nurses work with healthy elderly persons in their communities, acutely ill elders requiring hospitalization and treatment, and chronically ill or disabled elders in long-term care facilities, skilled care, home care, and hospice. The scope of