How Reminiscence Therapy Can Aid Dementia Care
Understanding Reminiscence Therapy
Dementia can damage the memory storage section of the brain, meaning that the person cannot store and access memories as they once did. Short-term memory is the first to be affected, and then, as time progresses, more memories are affected, until the person can only recall things from much earlier in their life. They may also believe that they are now reliving those parts of their life and not recognise people or places from the present. This can be very unsettling and confusing for them because they may not recognise their surroundings or the people nearby. This can also be very upsetting for their loved ones, as the person may reject them and refuse to believe they know them.
Helping Hands have been supporting people living with dementia since we were established in 1989. We understand how dementia affects people and that it is an individualised condition, meaning there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach. Our visiting and live-in care, with a focus on dementia support, is fully regulated by the Care Quality Commission and Care Inspectorate Wales, so it’s no surprise we’re the UK’s most trusted home care provider.
What Is Reminiscence Therapy?
Reminiscence therapy can help individuals reconnect with comforting memories that may still be accessible to them. This can be achieved through music, photographs, sounds, smells and other methods. There are many excellent resources available to explain more about reminiscence therapy, such as the Alzheimer’s Scotland website. It describes reminiscence therapy as “sharing life experiences, memories and stories from the past…reminiscence draws on this strength.”
Benefits of Reminiscence Therapy in Dementia Care
Reminiscence Therapy can help some people to feel less anxious and confused about their situation and the people around them. The reasons for this include:
Memory Recall and Cognitive Function
While dementia damages the memory centre of the brain (the hippocampus), the emotion centre (the amygdala) is not affected. This means the person can still ‘feel’ the emotions that reminiscence therapy can produce, even though the memories themselves may be out of reach.
Improving Mood and Reducing Agitation
Helping someone living with dementia to feel less anxious and frustrated can have benefits not just for them, but for the people caring for them too. It’s important to ‘get into their world’ and try to discover why they’re acting in a certain way. Distraction is a useful technique, too.
Strengthening Social Connections
Dementia can make someone feel isolated, thinking that they’re on their own in their altered reality and that no one understands. Spending quality time with caregivers, such as looking at old photos of a happy day and talking about it, can bring comfort and strengthen connections.
How to Incorporate Reminiscence Therapy
Incorporating reminiscence therapy into someone’s everyday routine isn’t difficult, as it can be done at home. However, the person’s reaction should be judged, and if they’re not receptive to reminiscing at that time, it shouldn’t be forced. You can always try again when they’re less tired or are feeling more relaxed.
Using Photos, Music, and Personal Objects
Using photo albums, favourite music, familiar foods, and any other tools that hold meaning for the person can be very effective in reminiscence therapy. This is because they can stimulate feelings and may reach beyond memory alone.
Creating Life Story Books and Memory Boxes
This can evoke precious memories for everyone involved and can help reinforce the identity of the person living with dementia. If they’re struggling with a loss of independence or sense of purpose, life story work may help reduce frustration.
Facilitating Group Sessions and One-on-One Conversations
Questions need to be phrased carefully and confrontation avoided when someone is living with dementia. Distraction is a great technique if conversation isn’t going well, and finding support groups locally can be beneficial for everyone involved.
Tips for Carers
Avoiding trigger topics and approaching communication carefully is key. For instance, if the person insists on something you know not to be true, don’t disagree or get into an argument, as the person will just get more frustrated and confused. Instead, distracting from the moment, such as saying “yes, perhaps you’re right. Shall we have a cup of tea?” will probably be enough to diffuse the situation. They will most likely have forgotten what you were disagreeing about and will be happy to focus on the next thing instead. Asking questions over and again, such as “did you take your pills? Or “did you have any breakfast?” will also lead to defensive and frustrated behaviour as the person will not remember but will want to convey that they do. If carers are concerned that important routines are being missed, they should raise it with the person’s wider healthcare team, so that a plan of action can be put into place.
Choosing Helping Hands for Dementia Care
Our carers are chosen for many reasons, primarily because they share our ethos of delivering exceptional care to people in their own homes. We make sure that our carers understand dementia and what causes it, so that they can best support people living with the various different types of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, and dementia with Lewy Bodies.
As we’ve been delivering the very best visiting and live-in dementia care to our customers at home since we were established, we are proud of the difference our local care teams make across England and Wales, every single day. We have 155 branches, all owned and run by us, meaning you get a consistency of care that you just can’t get with franchised operations. Have a chat with our friendly customer care team, any day of the week, to discover how we could be supporting you and your loved ones.
