Is Reminiscence Therapy Helpful?

Recently, the New Yorker published an article highlighting a practice that has come to be known as reminiscence therapy. This is a method of memory care for individuals with dementia that attempts to replicate real life settings and scenes that are familiar, but in the controlled setting of a nursing home or some other type of care institution.

 

As you might have suspected, some ethical concerns have been raised concerning this type of care. The people who have advocated for this type of care are quick to point out that residents are not being lied to or deceived, rather that care is being provided in a less threatening situation that residents are more likely to feel at home in.

 

Reminiscence therapy is being used in some nursing homes to help with memory care.

 

The New Yorker is not a medical journal and this article cannot be counted as such, but non-medical sources of information can still be helpful sources of information and inspiration when it comes to finding and keeping the best type of care for an elderly loved one. Doctors and their ideas should be given the highest priority when it comes to the care of the people that we love, but it would be naive to say that they are the only ones whose ideas hold value. The nursing homes mentioned in their article are not the only ones who are implementing this type of care, and they are not the only ones seeing success with it. There might not be a lot of data out there on this subject, but short term benefits are being discovered at the anecdotal level. And yes, doctors have been consulted for the design of these care methods.

 

The fact is, everyone is different. One size of dementia care will not fit everybody. What works for one person or one family might not necessarily work for another. If reminiscence therapy seems to be helpful for your elderly loved one, great. It might be the best possible type of memory care that they could receive. If you’ve seen it work for someone that you know, it might be worth considering, but it’s also important to keep in mind that it might not be what works best for your particular situation.

 

At Paradise In-Home Care, we offer memory care that is designed to be customizable. By allowing your loved one to stay in their own homes as long as possible, we attempt to minimize disruptions to their lives and daily routines, all while keeping them in a location that they are familiar with. Research has shown that this can actually slow down the spread of cognitive decline because it allows the person in need to be surrounded by things that they know and are familiar with. This isn’t reminiscence therapy, but it does accomplish some of the same goals–except it is done in a real life setting.

 

As always, if you have questions about senior care, memory care or otherwise, please feel free to give us a call. We offer a free consultation service that is designed to answer any questions about care you might have and help get you pointed in the right direction as far as senior care is concerned.

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