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Reminiscence Therapy
Many senior centers and various retirement residences use various forms of reminiscence therapy to sharpen seniors' minds by reviewing the past. They might sing songs from previous decades, discuss trivia from days gone by, or watch familiar movies from years ago.
It is also very common for family and professional caregivers of elders with Alzheimer's to bring out personal photo albums to review family, friends, and important events from those seniors' lives. Using those family photos to strengthen the positive benefits of reminiscing is likely to increase a senior's comfort level in a new home setting and allow him or her to share a rich heritage with extended family members.
An exciting new variation of reviewing one's life is known as video reminiscence therapy. A handful of researchers around the world are discovering positive applications of showing personalized slideshows to people affected by Alzheimer's disease. One recent study states that "there is extensive evidence for the benefits of reminiscence therapy...and for the enjoyment it initiates among its participants." The authors of this same study found that memory-impaired participants strongly preferred to continue watching the videos, even when they were reminded of sad events.
It is also very common for family and professional caregivers of elders with Alzheimer's to bring out personal photo albums to review family, friends, and important events from those seniors' lives. Using those family photos to strengthen the positive benefits of reminiscing is likely to increase a senior's comfort level in a new home setting and allow him or her to share a rich heritage with extended family members.
An exciting new variation of reviewing one's life is known as video reminiscence therapy. A handful of researchers around the world are discovering positive applications of showing personalized slideshows to people affected by Alzheimer's disease. One recent study states that "there is extensive evidence for the benefits of reminiscence therapy...and for the enjoyment it initiates among its participants." The authors of this same study found that memory-impaired participants strongly preferred to continue watching the videos, even when they were reminded of sad events.
