Narrative Gerontology: How the Pen has Power to Promote Optimal Aging
January 31, 2020
Hosted by Joseph M. Casciani
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Guest Information
Episode Description
This show will explore "narrative gerontology," a relatively new interdisciplinary field of research and practice, meaning "life as story" and involving late life. In the early 1960's, the gerontologist Robert Butler laid the foundation for life review, asserting that looking back from the vantage point of the present, individuals can re-frame their perspectives of past accomplishments and regrets, overcome bitterness, and move on with greater integrity and new purpose. Interventions that combine narrative and aging include memoir, guided autobiographical writing, reminiscence done in groups in clinical and community settings, and legacy letter writing. Our guest is a psychologist, gerontology educator, and author, Dr. Paula Hartman-Stein. She has used narrative gerontology interventions with individuals in her clinical practice and led inter-generational writing groups in the community, and using case examples, will explain how the pen has power to promote optimal aging.
Living to 100 Club
Archives Available on VoiceAmerica Health and Wellness Channel
The Living to 100 Club is an exciting take on getting older. The Living to 100 Club members turn aging on its head knowing and understanding age is only a number. The Living to 100 Club is for everyone of all ages who wants to maintain a positive outlook about our futures. The Living to 100 Club offers fresh and inspiring perspectives on aging successfully, no matter how much help we may need adapting to growing older. Whether we’re still running marathons or confined to a wheelchair, we can always keep a positive frame of mind, look forward to events in our future, and plan on living to 100. The Living to 100 Club brings together topics on successful aging, overcoming obstacles, staying positive in the face of adversity, healthy lifestyles, starting new chapters and doing what you can’t. The Living to 100 Club guests share their professional stories, give advice on wellness, and offer explanations about living life to its fullest.
Joseph M. Casciani
Dr. Joe Casciani is a clinical psychologist who has been working with seniors, their families, and caregivers for over 30 years. A native New Yorker, he now resides in San Diego, California, with his wife of 48 years. Spending three decades in the health care industry, Dr. Casciani brings a point of view that emphasizes what we now know about longevity, how to create a future that is bigger than our past, and how to remove the mental clutter that robs us of a positive, energizing outlook on life. Dr. Casciani has shepherded other mental health professionals wanting to work with seniors and has written extensively on the vital role of mental health in long term care settings and the challenges of coping with medical conditions. Dr. Casciani has presented at professional and trade association meetings and has conducted a series of online webinars on aging and mental health. Beyond the clinical work and training, Dr. Casciani’s entrepreneurial spirit has brought rise to his building and operating several businesses in the health care industry, while managing the practices of other mental health professionals in several states.
