Acceptance
Final understanding of death; final stage of grief
Arteriosclerosis
Thickening and hardening of the walls of the arteries that can decrease blood supply to brain and cause a decrease in mental abilities
Daydreaming
Dreamlike thought process that occurs when a person is awake; provides a means of escape when a person is unsatisfied with reality
Displacement
Transferring feelings about one person to someone else
Growth
Measurable physical changes that occur throughout a person’s life
Adolescence
12-18 years; traumatic life stage
Bargaining
Patients accept death but want more time to live
Defense Mechanisms
Unconscious acts that help a person deal with an unpleasant situation or socially unacceptable behavior
Early Adulthood
19-40; frequently a productive life stage
Hospice
Care that provides support and comfort
Affection
Warm and tender feeling for another person
Chemical Abuse
Use of substances such as alcohol or drugs and the development of a physical and or mental dependence on these chemicals
Denial
Disbelief of an event or idea that is too frightening or shocking for a person to cope with
Early Childhood
1-6 years; period of slower growth
Infancy
Birth to 1 year
Alzheimer’s Disease
Irreversible loss of memory, deterioration of intellectual functions, speech and gait disturbances, and disorientation
Cognitive
Intellectual development; solving problems, make judgements, deal with situations
Depression
Patients realize death will come and they will be unable to be with their families and achieve their goals
Emotional
Feeling and includes dealing with love, hate, fear, excitement and other similar feelings
Late Adulthood
65 and older; elderly or senior citizen life stage
Anger
Patient is no longer able to deny death
Compensation
Substitution of one goal for another goal to achieve success
Development
Changes in intellectual, mental, emotional, social, and functional skills that occur over time
Esteem
Feeling important and worthwhile
Late Childhood
6-12 years; preadolescence