Frequently Asked Questions

This program is designed for staff who create, plan, and deliver wellness and lifestyle programs at Independent and Assisted Living Facilities, as well as corporate trainers, and senior community organizations. These Directors are responsible for life enhancement, resident services, activities, or life enrichment programs. Collectively, the target audience is referred to as “Program Directors.” With this series of Modules in hand, Directors are given new tools that will not only make their job easier but also help them do a better job by seeing the psychological, cognitive, and interpersonal growth of their residents.

The users of this GUIDE are open to new tools to help senior residents shift their thinking about possibilities and opportunities in their future. The tools help to shift resident attitudes about aging and to help residents learn new skills. Program Directors see themselves doing a better job and, importantly, expect better results when they deliver this content. In some instances, Program Directors may have experienced a measure of their own job burnout, and their efforts to inspire and support residents may be waning. Despite their commitment to this population, this GUIDE can restore optimism and hope when performing their roles. Further, Program Directors will find themselves encouraged to reexamine their own attitudes about aging and challenge their own misconceptions about the uplifted changes in outlook that are possible. This expected outcome is unique to the program.

The normal, human aging process typically brings with it physical, personal, and psychological challenges. This stage of life:

• Is often coupled with a stereotyped, self-limiting attitude that old age inevitably brings with it decline, helplessness, and dependency.
• Is accompanied by an ageist attitude that maintains we should stop expecting things from older adults.
• Often causes older adults to feel discouraged, to doubt their ability to grow, and consequently see these challenges as limiting their future and remaining years.
• In view of the booming anti-aging industry and with a market of $60B in the US in 2021 at an annual 8% increase rate, the demand to meet the needs and desires of the older adult population is unmatched in the U.S.

The serious question: What if the problem is really about how we think about aging? This GUIDE reverses the ageist belief of decline, self-limiting attitudes, and the notion that change is too difficult for that subgroup of older adults who are not already on a healthy and wellness journey. This GUIDE teaches new ways to overcome negative attitudes, become more engaged in relationships, and promote activities that foster positive mindset and future outlook. These Modules help older adults look forward to getting older.

The solution to the problem relies on resources that provide strategies to residents and clients to stay engaged in their residential setting or community. It is designed to help seniors enhance their cognitive and social functioning as well as learn ways to adopt more inspiring and optimistic views about their future. The BETTER, LONGER & HAPPIER GUIDE directly benefits:
(a) Senior Residents by enhancing their own health, adaptability, and future outlook.
(b) Program Directors with a cost-effective program to keep residents mentally, socially, and physically engaged. With these tools that allow them to feel more empowered, Program Directors will re-think what is possible with their residents.
(c) The residential settings by extending the stay of the senior program participants and keeping them at optimum physical and mental functioning. These settings also benefit from incentivizing their professional staff to feel more engaged and effective in their work.

• Senior residential communities already have existing wellness programs in place. Generally, wellness programs emphasize the ingredients to successful aging, such as diet, fitness, socialization, and other factors.
  • These programs typically do not address or reach the population that is already discouraged and disengaged. Consequently, the healthy, motivated residents stay healthy and motivated, while others remain disinterested, pessimistic about change, and negative in their expectations. How many residents prefer to stay in their apartments and turn down activity and socialization? The choice to retreat and avoid interaction has been shown to unfavorably impact physical function, outlook, and self-care.
• This proposal is just another trend that will die out in a short time. The tools and activities built into this package rely on the most current views on neuroplasticity and evidence-based research showing the strong likelihood that those in their senior years can learn new things, and that brain cells can continue to grow and make new neural pathways. Further, positive psychology shows that, with guidance and support, a negative mindset can give way to positive views of oneself and change. Additionally, the negative perception of aging (i.e., ageism = dependency, frailty, helplessness) is finally giving way to more realistic views on the upside to getting older. It highlights the fact that the 50-year old may have lived only half of his life, and our senior years are more realistically defined by opportunity, wisdom, growth, and celebration than decline and dependency.
• The cost is too high. The cost-saving benefits fall into four categories:
  • Value derived for the seniors participating in this program can be viewed in terms of health and longevity, reduced demands on caregivers, and extending their stay in the facility.
  • A potential medical cost-offset inherent that can result in higher physical functioning caused by a shift in mental attitude about self-care and taking responsibility for one’s own health. This can come from an improved fitness and nutrition mindset and stress management skills. This can be expected to reduce medical expenses related to possible lower medication usage, reduced ER and hospital visits, and less physical decline.
  • Reducing the cost of staff time devoted to a search for activities that may or may not be appropriate for the resident population, the cost incurred in off-site training, conferences, and webinars, and the possible costs of re-educating new hires after turnover in the Director position.
  • Financial gain for the facility accrues from the expected reduced turnover in residents as they become more challenged and engaged. Less tangible though equally important, facilities also win when families, referral sources, community organizations, and others learn about this innovative, enriching program.
• There is too much work involved to implement it. Reducing staff burden is one of the main drivers of this program. The educational material, experiential programs, and the countless resources in the form of card decks are streamlined for usability. They do not require preparation, development, or training. Most important, this program allows the staff to spend more time with residents, with its ready-made, innovative solutions to help Residents live better, longer, and happier.

Our author, Dr. Joe Casciani, believes adults in the 55+ age group have untapped ability to learn new coping skills. When given the right approaches, they can use resilience to overcome setbacks, and experience more growth, opportunities, and excitement that come in our senior years. Instead of feeling discouraged, disengaged, and disinterested, the author believes with the proper strategies and education, many individuals in this age group have the capacity to feel refreshed and excited about aging, take more control of their future, and shift their mindset to help them live longer and healthier.

“User friendly” is the main driver when developing this GUIDE. New programs that take time to learn, prepare, and apply do not get used. Alternatively, relying on this usable card deck format, Program Directors can select content from four sections and easily implement them:

1. Presenting “Key Thoughts and Lessons.”
2. Taking a “Knowledge Deep Dive” for more depth and detail of the content.
3. Introducing “Activities and Exercises.”
4. Sharing “Inspirational Stories.”

As this GUIDE is introduced, Program Directors have access to programs that complement their existing activity schedule and offer ready-made lesson plans, while meeting their goals to improve the outlook and mental and interpersonal functioning of residents.

Employers are seeking well-trained employees who can implement innovative programs for seniors and increase the community involvement and commitment of its residents. These Modules offer this.

The package includes a Module with recommendations on reaching those who are disinterested and disengaged in the community, a group that often presents challenges for Program Directors.

With the shift toward a positive mindset observed in the senior participants, Program Directors will experience a heightened sense of job satisfaction, achievement, and accomplishment in their work.

The approaches and interventions that develop from this training package bring a valuable skillset to the Program Directors, skills that are marketable in any setting.

The rating scales and measurement tools that are included provide objective measures of the training success, something very important in program evaluation.

These Modules shift the mindset of those seniors who are participating from feeling stuck and discouraged about their future to an uplifted, refreshed outlook.

These Modules fill an important, cost-effective need for employee training and provide a permanent solution for enriching program development.

As residents feel more mentally challenged and shift toward a more positive view of aging from these programs, senior living settings experience less resident dissatisfaction and turnover.

The reputation of the senior living community is enhanced as residents develop favorable reviews of the program, and experience positive changes from their participation. Outcomes and experiences are shared with friends and family, and sales and marketing employees report successes with their referral contacts.

As Program Directors become better equipped with effective life enhancement programs, the senior living setting reduces its costs in caring for their residents while improving the quality of life. This becomes more evident as a driving theme in these Modules encourages senior participants to take an active role in their self-care and maintain a more positive outlook on adapting to change.

As residents learn more about healthy lifestyle behaviors related to fitness, diet, and social connections and making more informed decisions, they may experience less physical decline. In turn, this may prevent or postpone transfers to an acute hospital or higher levels of care, thus extending their stay.

The local community is always alerted to innovative programs in residential settings. Referral and placement agencies welcome these innovative programs as a benefit to their clients and the families they serve.

The overriding theme of this GUIDE is to build a sense of community among residents, to build connections, openness, and communications with others. The content is a culmination of the author’s decades of experience in seeing what it takes to help older adults thrive instead of feeling discouraged about aging and their future. The Modules also promote more favorable interactions among residents and staff. From Dr. Casciani’s field-tested series of exercises, inspiring videos and case studies, and relationship-building programs, residents focus more on their strengths, relinquish ageist stereotypes, and enjoy the benefits of strong, interpersonal relationships. As residents adopt more of the upsides of aging, Program Directors can be expected to feel especially effective in their role.

Residents will have a fresh new mindset about their physical and mental health, opportunity for cognitive stimulation, developing new skills and brain growth, increased stress management skills, improved goal setting and problem-solving ability, and a shift from ageist, stereotyped views of aging to a more positive, realistic, and contemporary view of aging.

Once payment is received, the order will be sent to the printer. Shipping will take approximately 7 o 10 business days.

Delivery will be made to the name and address submitted on the checkout page.

Due to the unique nature of the card decks, no returns or refunds are accepted.