Author
GIBSON Faith
Title
Reminiscence and recall: a practical guide to reminiscence work. 3rd ed.
Publisher
Age Concern, 2006
Summary
This handbook includes advice on planning and doing successful reminiscence work with people of all ages, individually or in groups, in residential or community settings. It also includes new material on intergenerational work, reminiscence with terminally ill and bereaved children and adults, working with minority ethnic elders, building partnerships with libraries, museums and community arts organisations, promoting social inclusion through reminiscence, and staff training. Other topics include: working with people with sensory and learning disabilities, with dementia, and those who are depressed or terminally ill.
Context
In the last 40-50 years health and social care professionals have begun to realise the importance to older people of being able to look back, to recall the past and to share their recollections with others. Reminiscence, an ordinary, everyday activity, has come to be valued and used for educational, recreational, social and therapeutic purposes.
Contents
Chapter 1 is about becoming old and still growing, explaining how to understand how best to use the handbook; appreciate the multiple, changing needs of people throughout their lives; realise the importance of recalling, reviewing, reconstructing and sharing memories; and be aware of why the reader and others want to reminisce. Learning to listen to people's stories and views on ageing are discussed.
Chapter 2 asks what is reminiscence work? Intended outcomes include understanding four definitions of reminiscence; appreciating how ideas about reminiscence have evolved over time; justifying the use of the term reminiscence work, not reminiscence therapy; and appreciating the wide relevance of reminiscence work.
Chapter 3 asks why reminiscence work should be encouraged. Outcomes are: listing ten reasons for doing reminiscence work with individuals, families, small groups and communities; understanding Webster's classification of the functions of reminiscence; explaining why it is important to set objectives for planned reminiscence work; and recognising different attitudes to reminiscence and different styles of reminiscing.
Chapter 4 describes the planning phase of beginning reminiscence work, aiming to enable the reader to understand about phases or stages of reminiscence work with individuals, couples and small groups; identify the responsibilities of senior staff in facilities where reminiscence work is to be undertaken; be aware of the overall responsibilities of reminiscence workers; appreciate the importance of the preparation or planning phase; and summarise the workers tasks related to the planning phase.
Chapter 5 describes how to lead a reminiscence group, with the aim of equipping the reader to identify roles, responsibilities and behaviour of workers during the beginning, middle and end phases of a group with closed membership; explain the possibilities and pitfalls associated with using multi-sensory triggers; differentiate between the major characteristics of reminiscence in groups with open or closed membership; and list examples of universal or common topics or themes.
Chapters 6-14 cover reminiscence and life review work with individuals and couples; reminiscence and oral history in community development; reminiscence with people from minority ethnic groups; inter-generational reminiscence work; and reminiscence with people with dementia and their carers; with people who are depressed; with people with hearing, sight and speech disabilities; with people with learning disabilities; and with terminally ill and bereaved people. Finally Chapter 15 covers staff development, training, quality and evaluation issues. All have learning outcomes, key points and application exercises. Appendices give recording forms and list resource agencies. The book will help readers to develop the attitudes, knowledge, understanding and skills needed to encourage people to value themselves by valuing their pasts.
Conclusion
Reminiscence work with individuals, couples, small groups and communities is founded on the conviction that people are best placed to know and to say what is important to them. Reminiscence and life review mean different things to different people. Careful, systematic, detailed preparation is needed. Ambivalence is common during the beginning stage of a group. There are many different ways of undertaking reminiscence with individuals and couples. Reminiscence used in oral history work promotes community development objectives that encourage people to reflect on their personal and communal memories in efforts to understand, reconstruct and reconcile conflicting representations of history.
The courage, resilience and strength of older people, especially those from minority ethnic groups, need to be recognised and celebrated.
People of different ages, backgrounds and circumstances should be encouraged to use their memories of past times, places, people and events for crossing boundaries and lessening the distance between themselves and their people.
Reminiscence and related created activities, especially music and those that stimulate body movements such as drama and mime, which stress non-verbal communication, have much to contribute to people with various kinds of dementia.
Individual reminiscence and structured life reviews are promising ways of offering assistance and building relationships with people who are depressed. Great care is needed in selecting and assessing participants with sensory and speech impairments and resulting communication problems.
Suitably modified reminiscence and life story work, using various approaches and formats, are very important for people with learning disabilities of all kinds.
Opportunities for engaging in conversation, mourning rituals and open grieving promote the long-term mental health of bereaved people. The needs of the terminally ill for reviewing their lives and preparing for death are complex and demanding.
Readers should continue to read about reminiscence work, distinguishing between reports of actual reminiscence work, empirical research studies, particular methods of approach and theory-building.
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