The Benefits Of Reminiscence Therapy For People With Dementia

Reminiscence therapy is a kind of talking therapy that helps people with dementia to regain a much-cherished connection to the past. Sometimes called life review therapy, it’s an amazing type of dementia care that allows individuals with dementia to maintain their identity and boost wellbeing.

In our latest blog, we’re learning more about this form of therapy and how it helps people with dementia. 

What is reminiscence therapy?

Reminiscence work is all about the senses.

Therapists use all of the senses to evoke memories and feelings from the past. This could be the smell of a childhood meal, the texture of a certain object, the sound of an old song or the sight of family photos. The idea is that the memory is still in there, but it requires certain triggers to come back to the surface.

Individual reminiscence therapy and group reminiscence therapy are both common ways to create a safe space for people living with Alzheimer’s Disease and other forms of dementia to explore their memories.

While it can sometimes be stressful for people with dementia to try to remember certain things, reminiscence is all about create a relaxed environment where memories naturally rise to the surface in a comforting and positive way.

Although it is done professionally by trained therapists, the idea of it can also be used by care home workers or family members to help people with dementia.

What are the benefits of reminiscence therapy?

While it can be useful for all memory-related conditions, studies have revealed it to be highly effective when used after a diagnosis of dementia.

Benefits include:

• Improved mood 
• Sense of comfort and increased wellbeing
• Enhanced cognitive function
• Reduction in stress levels for carers and caregivers 
• Higher levels of confidence and self-worth
• Boosted feelings of personal identity
• Lower levels of depression and anxiety
• Stronger bonds with loved ones

Reminiscence therapy works best when used in conjunction with other types of treatment and therapy to ensure people’s broader emotional needs are met.

It’s also important to consider someone’s background and mental health before trying this kind of therapy, as it can evoke negative memories and cause upset for some people.

Specialist therapists are trained and experienced in factoring this into their work and creating a safe space for people with dementia and their family carers.

What actually happens when you use reminiscence?

There isn’t one set way to conduct reminiscence therapy. Usually, sessions are tailored to the individual to ensure a safe and rewarding experience.

For example, it could be a simple chat or walk with a carer, partner, or family member, or take more of a typical therapy format between a qualified therapist and a person with dementia.

In this instance, they’ll often bring a range of sensory objects along to rouse specific memories from the past.

Using the props, they will ask questions, explore conversations, and encourage someone with dementia to open up, share, and reflect on how they feel or what it’s bringing up for them.

What’s going on in the brain during this kind of therapy?

Reminiscence therapy targets the areas of the brain affected by dementia and other memory-related conditions.

Conversations and props are designed to stimulate these brain areas to unearth the memories stored there and stir up the emotions associated with them.

The importance of connection in dementia 

When our co-founder Emily’s Nana Pauline started to develop the symptoms of dementia, Emily and her family were unsure how to maintain their strong connection with her.

However, they quickly realised that it was simply a case of finding new ways to connect.

They would cut holiday pictures out of magazines to encourage Nana Pauline to talk about her time living in Spain, and keep asking questions and listening to keep her talking and maintain her amazing sense of humour.

This in itself is a form of reminiscence therapy, and we encourage you to keep talking to your loved ones with dementia.

Reminiscing is something everyone can try with their loved ones to strengthen connections and stir up happy memories – in fact, it’s the reason we created our conversation game, Matching Memories, as well as our other dementia games and activities after our own personal experiences with dementia.