Aged-care nursing, or gerontic nursing, is now recognised as a specialised area of nursing. The word ‘gerontic’ is derived from the Greek word geron, meaning ‘old man’ or ‘old age’, and courses in gerontology are now widely available at undergraduate and postgraduate levels in institutes of higher education throughout the world. Such courses provide the theoretical basis for effective, evidence-based care of the elderly. Care of the elderly is the underpinning tenet of this book.