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Materialising memories: exploring the stories of people with dementia through dress
- Authors:
- BUSE Christina E., TWIGG Julia
- Journal article citation:
- Ageing and Society, 36(6), 2016, pp.1115-1135.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
In this article, the authors use clothes as a tool for exploring the life stories and narratives of people with dementia, eliciting memories through the sensory and material dimensions of dress. The article draws on an Economic and Social Research Council-funded study, ‘Dementia and Dress’, which explored everyday experiences of clothing for carers, care workers and people with dementia, using qualitative and ethnographic methods including: ‘wardrobe interviews’, observations, and visual and sensory approaches. In this analysis, the authors use three dimensions of dress as a device for exploring the experiences of people with dementia: kept clothes, as a way of retaining connections to memories and identity; discarded clothes, and their implications for understanding change and loss in relation to the ‘dementia journey’; and absent clothes, invoked through the sensory imagination, recalling images of former selves, and carrying identity forward into the context of care. The article contributes to understandings of narrative, identity and dementia, drawing attention to the potential of material objects for evoking narratives, and maintaining biographical continuity for both men and women. The paper has larger implications for understandings of ageing and care practice; as well as contributing to the wider Material Turn in gerontology, showing how cultural analyses can be applied even to frail older groups who are often excluded from such approaches. (Edited publisher abstract)
Self-awareness of memory impairment in Parkinson’s disease: a review of the literature
- Authors:
- BLOOMFIELD Jacqueline, WOODS Damith Thushara, LUDINGTON Jason
- Journal article citation:
- Working with Older People, 20(1), 2016, pp.57-64.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to review and provide information on the small but growing body of literature that demonstrates that some people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) are unaware of the memory impairment, and this has clinical implications for how family members care for their loved one, and how clinical staff and others may interact with them on a day-to-day perspective. Design/methodology/approach: The approach takes the form of a general review. Findings: People with PD experience a variety of cognitive impairment including deficits in memory and higher level executive processes. Impairment in these areas can occur early in the disease course and result in adverse consequences including distractibility, trouble recalling information, and problems remembering to execute planned actions like adhering to medication regimes. The literature also suggests heterogeneity in both the memory performance of people with PD and in the definition of awareness used to investigate this phenomenon. Practical implications: Strategies for remembering may be of practical importance for people with PD, and/or caregivers should be introduced and educated to the nature of memory impairment in PD, as well as its likely course and natural progression in a non-threatening way before they are later instructed on “tips” for maximising daily functioning as more severe cognitive deficits begin to appear. Originality/value: This paper adds to the small body of literature that investigates patients’ awareness of memory impairment in PD and advocates for ongoing research within the area. (Publisher abstract)
Towards a more social orientation in gerontechnology: case study of the “Reminiscence Stick”
- Authors:
- PEKKARINEN Satu, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Technology in Human Services, 31(4), 2013, pp.337-354.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
The purpose of this article is to investigate, through a case study, how social orientation can be realised in gerontechnology's objectives. The focus is on user-driven development process of an “mStick,” which is a tool for storing various biographical material: photographs, texts, audio and video clips, and using it in elderly care services. Qualitative data were collected in 11 pilot cases. The content analysis was used to investigate how the “Gerontechnology's Five Ways”: prevention, enhancement, compensation, care, and research, were applicable especially from the perspective of social implications. The mStick acts as a prevention by offering meaningful contents to life, as enhancement by offering a possibility to utilise elderly person's resources. It compensates weakening abilities by preventing the world from becoming narrower. In care, it helps to see patients as whole human beings with unique biography. In addition, mStick offers potential for, for example, applications in memory research. The implication of this study is to pay attention to gerontechnology's role in supporting the social nature of the human being. This may contribute to renewing caring culture towards a more social and biographical orientation. Limitations of this study include focusing on the early development and implementation process with no long-term use data. (Publisher abstract)
Narrative therapy and elders with memory loss
- Author:
- YOUNG Elizabeth
- Journal article citation:
- Clinical Social Work Journal, 38(2), June 2010, pp.193-202.
- Publisher:
- Springer
- Place of publication:
- New York
Elders with memory loss often experience anxiety and depression as they feel their identities slip out of their own control. The paper argues that narrative therapy can help people with dementia revise their stories and reclaim their identities as their personal histories become less accessible to them. It presents case examples in which unique outcomes emerged when elders with memory loss resisted the cultural imperative to perceive their lives in sequential order and instead emphasized character traits and thematic patterns in their stories. The paper recommends ways to adapt narrative therapy so elders can create a meaningful sense of self despite dementia.
Narrative therapy and elders with memory loss by Elizabeth Young: narrative means to different ends
- Author:
- ENGLAND Suzanne
- Journal article citation:
- Clinical Social Work Journal, 38(2), June 2010, pp.203-206.
- Publisher:
- Springer
- Place of publication:
- New York
Comments on an article by Elizabeth Young in Clinical Social Work Journal 38(2), pp.193-202.
A randomized clinical trial of a writing workshop intervention to improve autobiographical memory and well-being in older adults
- Authors:
- MEDEIROS Kate de, et al
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 26(8), August 2011, pp.803-811.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
To date, there is little research on the improvement of autobiographical memory (AM) for older people. This study investigated the efficacy of an autobiographical writing workshop for improving AM, mood and self-concept in older people. Participants included 51 adults, aged 67 to 96 years. AM was assessed with the Autobiographical Memory Interview (AMI) and the Remote Memory Word Association Task (RMWAT). After completing baseline testing, participants were randomised to a structured autobiographical writing workshop, a reminiscence group or a no-treatment control group. Follow-up testing was completed at 8 and 34 weeks after baseline. Findings failed to reveal a group-by-time interaction for any of the AM measures. Across groups, there was a decrease in number of mid- and late-life events reported, and memories tended to be less detailed although more pleasant memories were reported with repeated testing. Mood remained unchanged; ratings of self-concept improved across all groups. The authors concluded that the intervention was ineffective for increasing recall from one's life story, mood or self-concept. Suggestions for future investigation are presented.
Specificity of autobiographical memory in depressed older adults and its relationship with working memory and IQ
- Authors:
- BIRCH Lucy S., DAVIDSON Kate M.
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 46(2), June 2007, pp.175-186.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
The study investigated whether depressed older adults retrieve fewer specific memories and more categoric memories than non-depressed older adults on the autobiographical memory test (AMT). The second objective was to investigate the relationship between AMT performance and both working memory and intelligence quotient (IQ). The study was cross-sectional, involving a single interview with each participant. A group of 17 depressed participants was matched for age, gender and education with a group of 17 non-depressed participants. All were screened for cognitive impairment. Participants completed the AMT, spatial span and letter-number sequencing subtests of the Wechsler Memory Scale III and the Wechsler Test of Adult Reading. The depressed group retrieved significantly fewer specific memories than the non-depressed group, but did not differ in their categoric memory recall. Specific memory scores were positively correlated with measures of working memory, but not with IQ. Categoric memory scores were negatively correlated with measures of working memory, but not with IQ.Depression adversely affects older adults' ability to retrieve specific memories. Working memory capacity was related to specific autobiographical memory retrieval independently of IQ. A strong relationship between AMT performance and spatial span is discussed.
Psychosocial benefits of solitary reminiscence writing: an exploratory study
- Authors:
- ELFORD H., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Aging and Mental Health, 9(4), July 2005, pp.305-314.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Claims have been made that reminiscence has benefits for older people's psychological well-being, and that writing memories may be a therapeutic process. This paper describes an exploratory study in which five nursing home residents engaged in a process of writing their memories by themselves, in a series of booklets containing memory prompts and photographs, over a period of four weeks. Each completed booklet was typed up by researchers and returned to participants the following week, with a bound copy provided to participants at the end of the study period. Analysis focuses on two sets of data: an in-depth case study of one participant, and a thematic analysis of field notes, researcher reflections, and the written material produced by the other study participants. The case study revealed three main themes: views on the past; sharing the past; and confidence in writing about the past. The field note analysis indicated the presence of four themes: proof and maintenance of skills; psychological or internal processes; social contact; and pleasure in reminiscence. The writing was seen as cathartic and provided a meaningful purpose, an opportunity to exercise writing skills and memory, and a focus for participants to share key stories with others. This exploratory study suggests that there is potential in using solitary writing within a reminiscence framework to improve psychological well-being in older people. However, caution should be exercised when encouraging older people to write their stories. Issues of confidentiality, audience, support, and appropriateness of the activity for the individual need consideration.
Positive versus negative priming of older adults’ generative value: do negative messages impair memory?
- Authors:
- HAGOOD Elizabeth W., GRUENEWALD Tara L.
- Journal article citation:
- Aging and Mental Health, 22(2), 2018, pp.257-260.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Objectives: A considerable volume of experimental evidence demonstrates that exposure to ageing stereotypes can strongly influence cognitive performance among older individuals. However, whether such effects extend to stereotypes regarding older adults’ generative (i.e. contributory) worth is not yet known. The present investigation sought to evaluate the effect of exposure to positive versus negative generative value primes on an important aspect of later life functioning, memory.Method: Participants of age 55 and older (n = 51) were randomly assigned to read a mock news article portraying older individuals as either an asset (positive prime) or a burden (negative prime) to society. Upon reading their assigned article, participants completed a post-priming memory assessment in which they were asked to recall a list of 30 words. Results: Those exposed to the negative prime showed significantly poorer memory performance relative to those exposed to the positive prime (d = 0.75), even when controlling for baseline memory performance and sociodemographic covariates. Conclusion: These findings suggest that negative messages regarding older adults’ generative social value impair memory relative to positive ones. Though demonstrated in the short term, these results also point to the potential consequences of long-term exposure to such negative ideologies and may indicate a need to promote more positive societal conceptualisations of older adults’ generative worth. (Edited publisher abstract)
Patient versus informant perspectives of Quality of Life in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer's disease
- Authors:
- READY Rebecca E., OTT Brian R., GRACE Janet
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 19(3), March 2004, pp.256-265.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Prior studies on Quality of Life (QOL) in Alzheimer's disease (AD) have rarely included control participants, or participants with very mild levels of cognitive impairment. Furthermore, there is little data to indicate whether or not mildly impaired patients can provide self-report QOL data or if informant reports are needed. This study compared QOL ratings from informants and patients with mild AD (n = 26), Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI, n = 30), and elderly controls (n = 23). Participants (aged 60-91 years) were recruited from an outpatient memory disorder clinic. Elderly controls were recruited from the community. Measures about patients were the Dementia Quality of Life scale, the Neuropsychiatric Inventory - Questionnaire, Instrumental of Activities of Daily Living, and Mini-mental State Exam. Informant depression was assessed with the Geriatric Depression Scale. Results indicated that overall patient-informant agreement for MCI (M=0.24), AD (M=0.48), and controls (M=0.49) did not differ significantly. Self-reported QOL did not differ significantly across the 3 groups. For caregiver-reports, QOL in MCI again did not differ from controls but was significantly greater than QOL in AD for 2 of 6 scales, and QOL in controls was greater than AD for 4 of 6 scales. Regression analyses indicated that neuropsychiatric symptoms were the most consistent predictors of QOL. In summary, informant- and self-perceptions of QOL differed substantially. Results suggest that future investigators should carefully consider gathering QOL information from both informants and patients because they provide unique information regarding patient QOL and, to date, neither source of information has been established to be superior.