One of the most common conditions associated with aging is dementia, where people experience degradation in memory and overall mental abilities. It can be caused by anything that affects the brain, but most notably by neurological conditions. While some treatments and medications exist for dementia, it can also be managed using reminiscence therapy.
What is reminiscence therapy?
Often, memories have been stored away in the brain, and it isn’t possible to readily remember them unless prompted. The goal of reminiscence therapy, also known as life review therapy, is to encourage older adults to bring back these stored-away memories by consistently engaging with both the person and their memories. This reminiscence helps stimulate cognitive processes in the brain.
Many tools and techniques are used in this unique form of reminiscence therapy. The most consistent tool is simply talking with the patient and letting them respond. Reminiscence therapy sessions can take place in several different settings, both group or individual sessions. While some older adults might prefer a more traditional therapy setting, like an office, others might be more comfortable discussing their memories or life experiences in a more casual environment, like on a walk or while doing other daily tasks. Reminiscence therapists use these pleasant places to ask open-ended questions and give older adults a chance to discuss anything that comes to mind. Even just talking about their lives and loved ones is beneficial since it helps exercise their ability to recall memories.
Reminiscence therapy also utilizes sensory tools to help recall memory. Smells, sounds, and other sensations from specific periods of life are employed. Activities and movements, like dancing, walking, or cooking a favorite food, can also help recollection. Therapists often use physical items like souvenirs, photos, and other keepsakes to prompt responses.
Benefits of Reminiscence Therapy
Reminiscence therapy has the primary goal of countering memory loss. Helping older adults remember their past as they age counters the effects of dementia and helps preserve the brain’s long-term memory and reasoning abilities. It also helps lower stress levels and improves heart health. Even for those without dementia, reminiscence therapy will even help protect the brain against possible memory loss.
For the family and friends of older adults with dementia, seeing their loved ones benefit from reminiscence therapy can be a gratifying experience and often leads to a more effortless ability to interact with them. Learning more about their past also helps to preserve important family stories or traditions. Additionally, just learning more about memories decades past can give new insights into the older adult’s personality and needs, which will make both happier.
Most importantly, reminiscence therapy often results in self-confidence and greater peace. Besides recalling essential moments from their long lives, people frequently see improvements in their moods. It also helps in habitual social interaction and connecting with loved ones. Losing memories often causes low self-worth as they feel they have lost who they once were. As miraculous as it may sound, this type of therapy can repair memories and reverse memory loss, leading to overall higher satisfaction with life. They might also feel that they no longer have as solid an understanding of the world around them as they once did, so using the past to rebuild the foundations of their mental ability will help them become accustomed to the present.
Taking Part in Reminiscence Therapy
Specialized sessions should take place with someone trained in geriatric psychology, but many reminiscence activities can be done from home.
- Use mementos: Besides directly asking an older adult questions about their past, asking about objects around the house will also serve as reminiscence exercises. For example, asking what vacation a postcard on the fridge is from or who the other people in a photo are might spark some memories.
- Use sound: Ask the older adult to play their favorite song or watch older shows with them that might bring back memories from past experiences.
- Add movement: Dancing with them, especially in styles from when they were young, is a way to recall memories. This can be incorporated with the sound association of reminiscence – you could dance to their favorite song or style of music.
- Cook their favorite food: If they have dishes they were particularly fond of in the past or have a nostalgic value attached to them, making those dishes with or for them might help spark experiences associated with that food. Even the smells and sounds of the kitchen might add to their memories.
- Get artistic: Painting or doing other crafts might contribute to reminiscence as well. Painting a landscape of a place that holds significance could lead to conversations about memories associated with that place. Alternatively, if an older adult has a craft they already enjoy, like knitting or drawing, doing that will help them recall memories of that experience.
Preserving memory is vital in helping older adults stay healthy and maintain their identity. When searching for ways to counter dementia or other memory loss, reminiscence therapy is a great technique that is easy to add to their daily routine.
