Reminiscence therapy is used to counsel and support older people, and is an intervention technique with brain-injured patients and those who appear to have "Alzheimer's and other forms of cognitive disease."
A 2018 AARP article about a standalone demonstration project named Glenner Town Square focused on those who seem to have Alzheimer's or some (other) form of dementia. Glenner's goal is described as "capture the years between 1953 and 1961 so that project participants are calmly back in a time period to recollect ages 10 to 30, when "our strongest memories are formed."
Reminiscence therapy is defined by the American Psychological Association (APA) as "the use of life histories – written, oral, or both – to improve psychological well-being. The therapy is often used with older people." This form of therapeutic intervention respects the life and experiences of the individual with the aim to help the patient maintain good mental health.
The majority of research on reminiscence therapy has been done with the elderly community, especially those suffering from depression, although a few studies have looked at other elderly samples.
Research and implementation has been tried in several areas with diverse cultures such as Japan, United Kingdom, USA.
Reminiscence
Reminiscence has been described as “the volitional or non-volitional act or process of recollecting memories of oneself in the past”. In other words, it involves the recalling and re-experiencing of one's life events. This involves having an intact autobiographical memory in order to be able to recall certain life events.The meaningfulness of the reminiscence process depends on how meaningful the memories being recalled are. Different ways to make these memories more meaningful are to ask questions which suggest the importance of the event as well as using historical materials from ones past.
Reminiscence serves different psychological functions, including the taxonomy presented by Webster. Webster's Reminiscence Functions Scale (RFS) includes eight reasons why people reminisce: boredom reduction, bitterness revival, prepare for death, conversation, identity, intimacy maintenance, problem solving, and teach/inform. Psychologists have looked at using reminiscence therapeutically to improve affect and coping skills, although the effectiveness of this therapy has been debated. From more recent data, as outlined below, the therapy appears to have positive and even lasting results within the elderly community.
There are different types of reminiscence which can take place. The two main subtypes are intrapersonal and interpersonal reminiscence. Intrapersonal takes a cognitive stance and occurs individually. Interpersonal takes more of a conversational side and is a group-based therapy. Reminiscence can then be further broken down into three specific types which are: information, evaluation, and obsessive. Information reminiscence is done to be able to enjoy the retelling of stories from one's past. This type can also be used to help someone who may be lacking interest in his or her life and relationships. The ability to recall good memories can help them remember what they do have to be happy about. Evaluative reminiscence is the main type of reminiscence therapy as it is based on Dr. Robert Butler's life review. This process involves recalling memories throughout one's entire life and sharing these stories with other people. Often this is done within group therapy. Obsessive reminiscence occurs when somebody needs to be able to let go of any stress of guilt that may be lingering. By working through these issues it allows them to be at peace with themselves. Reminiscence has also been used to help people deal with the death of a loved one. By sharing stories about the loved one's life they can remember fond memories and gain a sense of peace with the death.
Method
Reminiscence therapy is often used in a nursing home or "geriatric health facility." The structure of reminiscence therapy can vary greatly. In one documented session, a therapist played different songs from the 1920s-1960s and asked the patients which songs resonate or have a special meaning. In another session from the same therapist, the participants shared photographs and had a show-and-tell about why the pictures were important to them.