A directory of all of Dr. Casciani’s Blog Posts
The Story of Malala Yousafzai Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani activist for female education, exemplifies remarkable behavior change in the face of adversity. At just 15 years old, Malala was targeted…
read more
Good intentions are rarely enough to help us reach our goals, whether to improve relationships, lose weight, exercise more, eliminate a bad habit, or finish that project that keeps getting…
read more
The following terms may be useful when describing the speech, behavior, or appearance of an older adult as they relate to possible mental disorders. These may be observed in a…
read more
Dementia is caused by various diseases and conditions, many with no cure. The table below shows the early symptoms, pathology, and prevalence of four main dementia subtypes, all progressive and…
read more
Problems with memory, particularly for recent events, is not uncommon during the aging process. Many people worry about how serious a case of “forgetfulness” may be. However, in contrast to…
read more
Delirium is a state of mental confusion and disorganization. Delirium and dementia are different. This state of mental confusion and disorganization is found in older adults when they are experiencing…
read more
Depression, dementia, and delirium are colloquially referred to as the “3 D’s”. First, what depression looks like: a) sad mood, feeling worthless, hopeless, and helpless; b) loss of interest, decreased…
read more
Seven Recommended Approaches when Interacting with a Resident Who May be Depressed Recognize symptoms – The older adult population typically does not admit to feelings of depression. Importantly, many are…
read more
These factors should be kept top of mind when assessing for evaluating depression in older adults: Older adults have higher rates of transient, recurring and atypical symptoms of depression (e.g.,…
read more
A person with social anxiety may experience uneasiness in everyday social situations. She may be afraid of being judged negatively by others or worry about embarrassing herself. There may a…
read more
Authored by Joseph M. Casciani, PhD In the field of aging, when we talk about reducing resistance, an important distinction has been made between compliance and adherence. Compliance has the…
read more
For a variety of reasons (see our blog on Retreat), encouraging greater engagement and building connection among residents in their community requires patience. It often requires a gradual process of…
read more