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The theory behind the therapy
"Participation in reminiscence groups can give a person with dementia a heightened sense of security, belonging, continuity, purpose, achievement and significance” (Clark et al, 2017).
Research into the effectiveness of reminiscence therapy reveals the importance of establishing an appealing environment in which people feel comfortable and confident enough to engage on a regular basis.
Reminiscence therapy involves stimulating people to talk about their past in order to help them better manage their symptoms, and to enhance their quality of life.
Reminiscence therapists have found that it is possible to trigger memories through physical movement and through engaging the operational senses of dementia patients (i.e., what they see, hear, touch, taste and smell).
Clark et al (2015) acknowledge how sharing personal memories of past sporting experiences can not only better connect those living with dementia to their care staff or others, but also unite older adults who are, or are at risk of becoming, isolated, and other patterns of social bonding.
Clark et al (2017) suggest that an hour-long conversation about a sport, team and time period of personal significance could be enough to leave someone suffering from dementia “with an awareness that something good has happened, with good feelings that last the rest of the day and boosted self-esteem that encourages more conversation with their families or carers, even if the reminiscence session itself is forgotten”.
Sources of reference:
Michael Clark, Charlie Murphy, Tony Jameson-Allen and Chris Wilkins (2015) Sporting memories & the social inclusion of older people experiencing mental health problems, Mental Health and Social Inclusion, Vol. 19, No. 4, pp. 202-211, © Emerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 2042-8308
Michael Clark, Charlie Murphy, Tony Jameson-Allen and Chris Wilkins (2017) Sporting memories, dementia care and training staff in care homes, The Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice, Vol. 12, No. 1, pp. 55-66, © Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 1755-6228