Contains more than 425 entries, following a biopsychosocial approach to the topic, including a historical and demographic overview of aging in America, a guide to biological changes accompanying aging, an analysis of the diversity of the US elder population, legal issues commonly affecting older adults, and the ethics of using cognitively impaired elders in research. Entries covers areas such as:

• Specific populations, including ethnic minorities, custodial grandparents, and centenarians
• Core medical conditions associated with aging, from cardiac and pulmonary diseases to Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s
• Mental and emotional disorders
• Drugs/vitamins/alternative medicine
• Disorders of the eyes, feet, and skin
• Insomnia and sleep disorders; malnutrition and eating disorders
• Sexual and gender
• related concerns
• And a broad array of social and political issues, including access to care, abuse/neglect, veterans’ affairs, and assisted suicide