We don’t like big words.
People seem to have a fondness for using complex vocabulary nowadays. However, that’s not our style at Wrinkles & Grace. We provide concise, high-impact and valuable resources tailored to you and your older adults. This means that we keep terminology clear and comprehensible. We’ve compiled an expanding glossary of terms that might appear perplexing or challenging, providing explanations within the context of our usage. Whenever you read our articles, this reference is at your disposal.
After all, isn’t the world a more pleasant place when we minimize confusing terminology? Click each word below to jump to its description. After you learn, you can use the back button to return to your article.
Older Adult
An older adult commonly refers to a person aged 60 years or older, although this number varies among countries. However, this age coincides with the retirement phase of life and potential changes in physical, mental, and social well-being.
The age range designated for older adults varies across different countries. In some regions, individuals are considered old once they celebrate their 60th birthday while other countries may designate age 65 as the threshold. Many African countries recognize the age of 60 as the commencement of old age. This is the reason many government agencies in African nations enforce a retirement age of 60 years (except for professors, who retire at 70) or after 35 years of active service, whichever occurs earlier. Typically, individuals who have accrued 35 years of service are approaching the age of 60 if they have not already reached that milestone.
It’s important to recognize that a person’s actual age in years might not match their biological age, which is shaped by the choices they make in how they live, both in their youth and later in life. The biological age considers a person’s overall physical, mental, and social well-being.
Caregiver
A caregiver is an individual who attends to the needs of another person, specifically older adults. There are two types of caregivers: Informal caregivers, who are usually spouses, family members, relatives or friends, who are not paid to regularly care and assist with day-to-day activities. Formal caregivers are trained professionals such as nurses and personal care assistants who are paid to provide care for older adults. Their duties include managing medications, talking to doctors and nurses on someone’s behalf; helping to bathe or dress someone who cannot; performing household chores, preparing meals, and helping with documentation for someone who cannot do these things alone.
Biological Age
Biological age is like a measure of how well your body is doing on the inside. It’s different from your regular age, which is just how many years you’ve been alive. So, if you’re 12 years old but your body is really healthy and strong, your biological age might be like that of a 10-year-old. On the other hand, if you’re 12 but your body is not as healthy, your biological age might be more like a 14-year-old. It depends on how well you take care of yourself, eat healthy food, and stay active. Biological age helps us understand how our bodies are doing on the inside! Health professionals use a combination of tools to calculate someone’s biological age.
Muscle strengthening activities
Muscle strengthening activities are activities that make your muscles work harder than usual. Examples include lifting weights, stretching resistance bands, doing exercises that use your body weight for resistance (e.g., push-ups, sit-ups), heavy gardening (e.g., digging, shoveling) and some forms of yoga.