Here are a few points to think about as you're investigating reminiscence therapy software. 

1) Is it web-based for easy access on all types of PCs, iPads, and other online devices?  With family, volunteers, and staff helping to collect memories, it's great to have a private, secure online account where the information can be stored. 128-bit encrypted sites are a very good idea.

2) Is it customizable for each person? In other words, if it provides prompting questions, can you change the questions to suit the person being interviewed.  This is very important as many people will think of something completely un-related to the question asked.   So it is great to have a way to go with them to what they would prefer to discuss. 

3) Does it offer sentence starters to generate an I care plan?   In senior care and health care settings, it is possible to use the life story as something to post in the room and to make accessible to both the senior and the caregivers.   If the program provides  "I like to do..." or "My favorites are..." or other appropriate ways to learn about the unique person, this becomes a perfect tool to build an "I" care plan for staff to review.  

4) Can you upload photos, video, and audio to add to the richness of the story?   Photos are such a great point of bringing back memories so putting them together in a memory book (especially for a person with dementia) is an excellent reason to be doing therapeutic reminiscence.  

5) Do you like the questions?  Are they asked in a positive or neutral way?  Is the biography template complete?  Is it easy to use?   Do you have  different options for different people's tastes?   Are there shorter or longer templates depending on the time you have? 

Author: Beth Sanders, Founder & CEO, www.lifebio.com   and www.lifebio.com/health
Call 937-303-4576 or email info@lifebio.com