Final answer:
The term geriatric refers to an individual who is 65 years of age or older, in line with the U.S. government's classification for elderly citizens eligible for federal benefits. The WHO suggests that while 65 is a common definition, the age can vary in different regions. Geriatrics is a medical field specializing in elderly care, originating from terms that mean 'old man' and 'medical treatment.'
Step-by-step explanation:
The term geriatric generally refers to a person who is 65 years of age or older. This definition aligns with the classifications by the U.S. government, where people aged sixty-five years old are eligible for federal benefits such as Social Security and Medicare. The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes that while there is no standard definition, 65 years old is commonly accepted in most core nations. However, this can vary, with semi-peripheral nations suggesting an age somewhere between fifty and fifty-five. Additionally, the aging population in the United States is often categorized into subgroups: the young-old (approximately sixty-five to seventy-four years old), the middle-old (seventy-five to eighty-four years old), and the old-old (over eighty-five).
Geriatrics is a term that was coined in the early 1900s by Dr. Ignatz Nascher, who combined two Greek words to create it: geron (old man) and iatricos (medical treatment). The discipline of gerontology looks at the process of ageing and the challenges encountered as seniors grow older. Understanding peoples' viewpoints towards aging and what it means to be elderly are essential aspects of this field, as perspectives can vary greatly between generations and across cultures.