Michael Caserta, PhD

Contact Information:

• Mailing Address:
• University of Utah
• College of Nursing
• 10 South 2000 East
• Salt Lake City, UT 84112-5880
• Phone: (801) 581-3572
• FAX: (801) 587-9838
• E-mail: michael.caserta@nurs.utah.edu

Background:

Michael Caserta, Ph.D. is a Professor in the Gerontology Interdisiplinary Program and a faculty associate in the University of Utah's Center on Aging. He teaches courses in research design and health promotion and coordinates the student practicum experiences for the Gerontology program. In addition to his teaching and scholarship activities, he is active in several professional organizations including the Gerontological Society of America (where he co-convened an interest group on death, dying, bereavement and widowhood), Association for Death Education and Counseling, and the American Association for Health Education. He also is a founding member of the Utah Gerontological Society, serving as its president in 2000.

Research Program/ Scholarly Activity:

Dr. Caserta has published widely in the areas of spousal bereavement, family caregiving, and health promotion and self-care. He and his colleagues have conducted projects examining the effectiveness of self-help groups for bereaved older adults, exercise interventions for sedentary overweight older women, and the development of Video Respite^TM, an innovative resource for Alzheimer's caregivers. His recent work has involved the development of the Pathfinders Program (funded by the Ben B. and Iris M. Margolis Foundation), that focuses on ways to improve the self-care practices of older widows and widowers. Pathfinders received Honorable Mention from the Archstone Foundation Award for Excellence in Program Innovation, sponsored by the Gerontological Health Section of the American Public Health Association, 2000. Caserta is currently the principal investigator on a 5-year study (funded by the National Institute on Aging) that is testing a bereavement intervention based on Stroebe and Schut's (1999) dual process coping model. Dr. Caserta received the College of Nursing Excellence in Research Award in 1998. In addition to his own work, he regularly reviews manuscripts for professional scientific journals and sits on five editorial boards.

Funded Research:

Recent Publications (Selected):

1. Books (or chapters in books)

• Caserta, M. S. (2003). Widowers. In R. Kastenbaum (Ed.), Macmillan encyclopedia of death and dying (vols. 1 & 2, pp. 933-938). New York: Macmillan Reference USA.
• Lund, D. A., & Caserta, M. S. (2002). Facing life alone: The loss of a significant other in later life. In K. Doka (Ed.), Living with grief: Loss in later life. Levittown, PA: Brunner/Mazell.
• Lund, D. A., & Caserta, M. S. (2000). When the unexpected happens: Husbands coping with the deaths of their wives. In D. A. Lund (Ed.), Men coping with grief (pp. 147-167). Amityville, NY: Baywood Publishing.

2. Journal Publications

• Caserta, M., & Lund, D. (2007). Toward the development of an Inventory of Daily Widowed Life (IDWL): Guided by the dual process model of coping with bereavement. Death Studies, 31, 505-535.
• Freeman, L., Caserta, M., Lund. D., Rossa, S., Dowdy, A., Partenheimer, A. (2006) Music thanatology: prescriptive harp music as palliative care for dying patient. American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, 23, 100-104.
• Telonidis, J., Lund, D. A., Caserta, M. S., Guralnick, J. T., Pennington, J. L. (2005) Effects of widowhood on disabled older women. Omega: Journal of Death & Dying, 50,217-235.
• Lund, D. A., Wright, S. D., Caserta, M. S. (2005). Respite services: Enhancing the quality of daily life for caregivers and persons with dementia. Geriatrics and Aging, 8(14), 60-65.
• Lund, D. A., Caserta, M. S., deVries, B., & Wright, S. D. (2004). Restoration during bereavement. Generations Review, Journal of British Society of Gerontology, 14, 9-15.
• Caserta, M. S., Lund, D. A., & Obray, S. J. (2004). Promoting self-care and daily living skills among older widows and widowers: Evidence from the Pathfinders demonstration project. Omega: Journal of Death & Dying, 49(3), 217-236.
• Franks, M., Lund, D. A., Poulton, D., & Caserta, M. (2004). Understanding hoarding behavior among older adults: A case study approach. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 42(3/4), 77-107.
• Lund, D. A., & Caserta M. S. (2004). Older men coping with widowhood. Geriatrics & Aging, 7(6), 29-33.
• Richardson, S. J., Lund, D. A., Caserta, M. A., Dudley, W. N., & Obray, S. J. (2003). Sleep patterns in older bereaved spouses. Omega: Journal of Death & Dying, 47, 363-385.
• Wright, S. D., Caserta, M. S., & Lund, D. A. (2003). Older adults' attitudes, concerns, and support for environmental issues in the "new West." International Journal of Aging and Human Development.
• Caserta, M. S., & Lund, D. A. (2002). Video Respite in an Alzheimer's care center: Group versus solitary viewing. Activities, Adaptation, and Aging, 27(1), 13-28.
• Caserta, M. S., Lund, D. A., & Rice, S. J. (2001). Participants' attendance at a health promotion program for older widows and widowers. American Journal of Health Education, 32(4), 229-236.
• Caserta, M.S., Lund, D. A., & Rice, S. J. (1999). Pathfinders: A self-care and health education program for older widows and widowers. The Gerontologist, 39, 615-620.
• Caserta, M. S., & Gillett, P. A. (1998). Older women’s feelings about exercise and their adherence to an aerobic regimen over time. The Gerontologist, 38, 602-609.
• Lund, D. A., & Caserta, M. S. (1998). Future directions in adult bereavement research. Omega, 36, 287-303.
• Wright, S. D., Drost, M., Caserta, M. S., & Lund, D. A. (1998). Older adults and HIV/AIDS: Implications for educators. Gerontology and Geriatrics Education, 18(4), 3-21.
• Caserta, M. S., Lund, D. A., & Wright, S. D. (1996). Exploring the caregiver burden inventory (CBI): Further evidence for a multidimensional view of burden. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 43, 21-34.
• Gillett, P. A., & Caserta, M. S. (1996). Changes in aerobic power, body composition, and exercise adherence in obese, postmenopausal women, 6 months post-exercise training. Menopause, 3, 126-132.
• Gillett, P. A., White, A. T., & Caserta, M. S. (1996). Effect of exercise and/or fitness education on fitness in older, sedentary, obese women. Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, 4, 42-55.
• Wullschleger, K. S, Lund, D. A., Caserta, M. S., & Wright, S. D. (1996). Anxiety about aging: A neglected dimension of caregivers’ experiences. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 26, 3-18.
• Lund, D. A., Hill, R. D., Caserta, M. S., & Wright, S. D. (1995). Video respite: An innovative resource for family and professional caregivers and persons with dementia. The Gerontologist, 35, 683-687.
• Caserta, M. S. (1995). Health promotion and the older population: Expanding our theoretical horizons. Journal of Community Health, 20, 283-292.
• Gillett, P. A., Caserta, M. S., White, A. T., & Martinson, L. (1995). Responses of 49- to 50-year-old sedentary, overweight women to four months of exercise conditioning and/or fitness education. Activities, Adaptation, and Aging, 19, 13-32.

Recent Presentations (Selected):

Editorial and Review Boards:

• Journal of Applied Gerontology, 2006-present
• International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 2001-present
• Intermountain Aging Review, 1999-2001
• OMEGA: Journal of Death and Dying, 1997-present
• Death Studies, 1994-present
• Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 1990-present

Current Professional Activities:

• Gerontological Society of America, 1985-present
• Association for Death Education and Counseling, 1993-present
• American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance, 1992-present
• Utah Gerontological Society, 1985-present
• Abstract Reviewer, Gerontological Society of America Annual Meetings, 1993-present

Areas of Teaching Responsibilities:

• Research Methods in Aging: A graduate level course that examines the essential issues involved in designing and implementing research as well as unique aspects of doing research on older adults and gerontological topics.
• Health and Optimal Aging: A course exploring the central issues involved in promoting healthful behavior, wellness, and quality of life among people as they age. The influences of theory, research, and practice are brought together and applied to gerontological health promotion.
• Gerontology Practicum: Field experiences under the supervision of professionals in the field of aging. This course is essential to the gerontology students’ professional preparation in aging.
• Guest lecture in several courses on campus.

Recent Awards:

• Fellow, Gerontological Society of America, 2000-present
• Eta Sigma Gamma, National Honor Society in Health Sciences, 1990-present
• Honorable Mention, Archstone Foundation Award for Excellence in Program Innovation, Gerontological Health Section, American Public Health Association, 2000
• Excellence in Research Award, University of Utah College of Nursing, 1998
• Outstanding Alumnus Award, University of Utah Department of Health Promotion and Education, 1997-98