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Reminiscence therapy and dementia: 3 reasons why it makes a difference
1. The past is one of the best ways to connect. Long-term memories are, in many cases, very much intact. When someone has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease or related dementias, it is important to capture as many details of his or her life stories as possible, as quickly as possible. It may not seem like the details matter, but they do and they will. In fact, it will be critical to delivering the best possible service and care. Because retrogenesis is believed to occur, a person with dementia may be, essentially, traveling back in time and seeing himself or herself as 50 or 40 or 20 or 10 years old. If you can know more about his or her life at these different ages, it will make communication and understanding easier.
READ MORELife stories: 3 tips for writing life stories without delay
Every life deserves a book. So how should we go about creating a life story and avoiding the dreaded blank sheet of paper?
READ MORERehab therapy and reminiscence therapy
Catrina learns a lot about Mrs. G. through reminiscing and recording her life story. Communications skills improved, individuality recognized, empathy gained, and relationships built.
READ MOREVietnam veteran shares story
Jim still has much to give---after already giving so much to our country. Wishing he was connected to youth in his local area.
READ MOREPerson-centered care won't work unless.....
health care workers truly know people and their life stories. The brief social history or even the new MDS 3.0 standards are okay, but these things are the bare minimum. The life story will need to be captured and it can happen in a variety of ways by learning more from the people themselves or by a process of involving their family members in the interview or by motivating staff to engage in a much more personal way.
READ MOREWise words about recollections
Dr. Bill Thomas of the Eden Alternative writes... "Much is made, and rightly so, of the special circumstances in which elders experience a great forgetting. We commonly refer to this as “living with dementia.” Less attention is paid, however, to how and why elders remember. Elders’ recollections are different from ordinary forms of memory…
READ MOREAdult Day Care Activities
One of the most important aspects of adult day services is providing companionship and opportunities for conversation. For people with memory loss, it is also vital to be stimulating the hippocampus area of the brain where memories are stored. Journaling groups are very possible as part of the activity program in an adult day center
READ MORESweet memories and conscious of them
When I read to my son and the dog listened too, that is a sweet memory. When my daughter practiced the same little tune on the piano over and over again, that is a sweet memory. When my husband and I sat as close as we could at dinner so our knees were touching, that is a sweet memory.
READ MOREOrphaned at 60
Annette Gonzalez describes how it feels after both of her parents passed away. "I write and speak about feeling like an 'orphan' at sixty years of age. Five months after my mother died, my father passed away. Sharing my experiences as a daughter, caregiver, wife and mother hopefully will help others who are grieving over the loss of their parent."
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