It is expected that the United States’ older population, those persons age 65 and above, will grow substantially as the Baby Boom generation ages.1 This predicted change in our demographics creates an even greater need for a thorough understanding of issues affecting the elderly. This need is especially acute for physicians who will increasingly encounter patients trying to maintain a high quality of life as their bodies and life circumstances change, and as advances in nutrition, health maintenance, and technology allow many to extend the time midlife activities are maintained.