If on many occasions we warn of the importance of living in the present and not letting the past influence us, there are some situations in which it is convenient to look back. Reminiscence Therapy works precisely with the past to keep memories alive and those lived experiences that can remind us of who we are. Perhaps now you do not see it clearly, but if we tell you that this therapy is of great help in centers for the elderly and for the elderly, it will surely make more sense.
What is Reminiscence Therapy
- Reminiscence Therapy is a technique that evokes memories and experiences from the past to connect them with the present. Through memories, the capacity for self-recognition is promoted and one’s own identity is strengthened. This therapy is based on the work carried out in the 1960s by the psychiatrist and geriatrician Robert Butler who proposed the theory that life review helps to overcome the different vital stages with positivity.
- Among the objectives of Reminiscence Therapy are to stimulate cognitive functions and improve communication and social skills. It aims to recover the autobiographical episodic memory and, with it, improve the emotional state of the patient.
- Is it positive to relive the past when we are tired of hearing over and over again that the past does not define us, that we must live in the present? Well, it turns out that some people need their past and their memories in order to improve their current quality of life.
Who is Reminiscence Therapy for?
- Those people who need to hold on to memories to recover their own identity are the elderly. The elderly is a group that is often forgotten but it is still a cornerstone of our society and, like everyone else, they need psychological help to solve some problems or to improve their quality of life.
- Reminiscence Therapy is especially indicated for cases of dementia, Alzheimer’s or to delay the cognitive deterioration typical of the passing of the years. There are degrees, of course, and the therapy will have to be adapted to the abilities of the patient. But in any case, it is a technique that can start with a professional and that we can keep at home to take care of our elders.
How Reminiscence Therapy works
- With this therapy it is about helping the person who needs it to recover their memories and personal experiences. The techniques are varied but also very simple, depending of course on the degree of cognitive impairment there is. The therapist looks for what is called a trigger that evokes memories or sensations and anything can help us.
- Photographs are very useful, for example. Old photographs of the patient’s childhood, of relatives or even of places that have been important. You can make collages or memory tables with many more things than photos. Objects from the past, something bought on an important trip, wedding gifts or even a study certificate.
- Objects are important, but so are smells, which can take anyone back to their childhood or their favorite place in the world. Smells that can arrive in the form of a usual perfume or accompanied by flavors with traditional family recipes, for example.
- And we do not forget the sense of hearing, which here is about not only reactivating memory, but also moving, feeling. Music is used in countless therapies of all kinds and a simple song can help a person remember who they are and relive part of their past. Songs that are meaningful to that person, but other types of sounds can also be used, such as church bells or the train whistle.
- Not only personal memories work, but also those of the time to remember in general. For this, anything from old newspaper news to radio recordings can be used. Images in which people can be seen dressed as usual or from the vacation place even though the patient does not appear in them. Festivals, utensils, uses and customs, a kind of totally personalized ethnographic museum to evoke the life of a person.
Benefits of Reminiscence Therapy
- The benefits of Reminiscence Therapy are immediately apparent. It is true that some diseases are degenerative and cannot be stopped yet, but their effect can be delayed. Remembering your own identity, knowing who you are through memories is the main benefit of this therapy, but it has many others.
- Autobiographical memories give a sense of continuity to your life, but it is also necessary to know how to manage those memories, which can be both positive and negative. The most important thing is that they are meaningful and that the therapist helps that person to interpret past memories and give them a place in their present.
- The benefit of company for the elderly is undeniable, often afflicted with the widespread evil of loneliness. But it is that with Reminiscence Therapy the capacity for expression, communication and social skills are also improved. After all, what is sought when showing a photograph or an object is for the patient to talk about what that memory means to him.
- Improving self-esteem is another of the benefits of this therapy that helps older people remember their achievements. The acceptance factor that is achieved through memories is also important Aging sometimes entails a deterioration of cognitive functions, but you also have to learn to see the advantages of a long life.
- If Reminiscence Therapy is carried out collectively (it does not always have to be done individually) the feeling of belonging to a group is reinforced. Sharing the experiences lived in the past by a group of people of a similar age favors companionship and reduces the social isolation to which senior citizens are often subjected.
- And why not share your memories to help the youngest? The benefits of young and old sharing their time have already been proven. The young are enriched, learn and promote their capacity for commitment while the elderly feel more useful by being listened to and taken into account. Intergenerational programs are successful in increasing the emotional well-being of both groups.
- Reminiscence Therapy is one of the most interesting therapies for our elders and although in principle it has to be carried out by a professional, it would not be a bad thing to incorporate it into family activities. We all win.