APPENDIX( continued)
Geriatrician: A physician who has had basic postgraduate training in either internal medicine or family medicine with an additional one to two years training in medical, social, and psychological issues that concern older adults.
Gland: A structure or organ that makes a substance, such as a hormone or chemical, that is used elsewhere in the body. Some of these hormones and chemicals are insulin, bile, growth hormone, estrogen, and testosterone.
Gray Matter: Nerve tissue that primarily consists of nerve cell bodies, dendrites, and unmyelinated axons, thus having a gray appearance. In contrast, white matter predominantly contains myelinated nerve fibers.
Half-Life: The time required for the blood level of a drug to decrease by half after dosing is stopped. The half-life determines how frequently a drug has to be given to maintain a level in the tissues that is effective and safe.
Hereditary: Inherited; inborn; referring to the genetic transmission of a trait, condition, or disorder from parent to offspring.
Home Health Care: A skilled healthcare service provided to individuals who are home-bound and limited in their ability to leave their residence. Through intermittent home visits, nurses and therapists provide skilled nursing and physical, occupational, and speech therapy. Some personal care may also be covered in conjunction with the skilled care. A physician must order and monitor this service, which is reimbursed by Medicare and most private insurance plans for a limited period of time.
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Homecare Services: Also known as companion care, domestic services, homemaker services, and personal care. Homecare( nonmedical) services provide assistance with housekeeping, personal care, and Activities of Daily Living( ADLs), all of which help the older adult to remain safely at home. These services may also include light housecleaning, meal preparation, doing laundry, grocery shopping, and running errands. Additional nonmedical homecare services include feeding, bathing, bowel and bladder care, and dressing.
Homeopathy: A system of medicine that is based on the Law of Similars, a belief in which substances that cause healthy people to exhibit symptoms can, conversely, be used to restore the body to health. Taken from the NIH website, please read the following key points carefully. More information and a general overview can be found at https:// nccih. nih. gov / health / homeopathy.
Key Points:( a) There is little evidence to support homeopathy as an effective treatment for any specific condition.( b) Although people sometimes assume that all homeopathic remedies are highly diluted and therefore unlikely to cause harm, some products labeled as homeopathic can contain substantial amounts of active ingredients and therefore could cause side effects and drug interactions.( c) Homeopathic remedies are regulated by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration( FDA). However, the FDA does not evaluate the remedies for safety or effectiveness.( d) Several key concepts of homeopathy are inconsistent with fundamental concepts of chemistry and physics. There are significant challenges in carrying out rigorous clinical research on homeopathic remedies.( e) Tell all your healthcare providers about any complementary health practices you use. Give them a full picture of all you do to manage your health. This will help ensure coordinated and safe care.
Homeostasis: Homeostasis, from the Greek words for“ same” and“ steady,” refers to any process that living things use to actively maintain fairly stable conditions necessary for survival.
Hospice: A special way of caring for a person with a terminal illness. A person is eligible to receive hospice care when he or she has a life expectancy of six months or less and chooses comfort care, over treatment, to cure the illness. A team of physicians, nurses, counselors, therapists, social workers, aides, and volunteers focus on the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of patients and their families.