Geriatric Mental Health Disaster and Emergency Preparedness

400 Appendix II Glossary of Terms Commonly Used in Geriatric Mental Health
*Prevention. Primary, secondary, and tertiary efforts that help avert an
emergency; these activities are commonly referred to as “mitigation”
in the emergency management model [for example, in public health
terms, prevention refers to actions that prevent the onset or deterioration
of mental health and other diseases, disability, and injury].
*Primary Prevention. Preventing the occurrence of death, injury, or illness
in a disaster [e.g., evacuation of a community in a fl ood-prone
area, sensitizing warning systems for tornadoes and severe storms].
Procedural memory. Memory for certain ways of doing things or for
certain movements.
Psychometric. Relating to the systematic measurement of mental processes;
psychological variables such as intelligence, aptitude, and
personality traits; and behavioral acts.
*Readiness. Links preparedness to relief; an assessment of readiness
refl ects the current capacity and capabilities of the organizations involved
in relief activities.
Remission. A return to the asymptomatic state usually accompanied
by a return to the usual level of psychosocial functioning.
*Recovery. Actions of responders, government, and the victims that
help return an affected community to normal by stimulating community
cohesiveness and government involvement. [One type of recovery
involves repairing infrastructure, damaged buildings, and critical
facilities. The recovery period falls between the onset of the emergency
and the reconstruction period.]
*Recovery Plan. A plan to restore areas affected by disaster; developed
on a state-by-state basis with assistance from responding federal
agencies.
*Response. The phase in a disaster when relief, recovery, and rehabilitation
occur; also includes the delivery of services, the management
of activities and programs designed to address the immediate
and short-term effects of an emergency or disaster.
Reversible Dementias. Term used to distinguish cognitive disorders that
can be treated effectively to restore normal or nearly normal intellectual
function from those that cannot.