=Paper=
{{Paper
|id=Vol-499/paper-9
|storemode=property
|title=Group Reminiscence Intervention for Institutionalized Demented Elders in Taiwan
|pdfUrl=https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-499/paper09-Wang.pdf
|volume=Vol-499
}}
==Group Reminiscence Intervention for Institutionalized Demented Elders in Taiwan==
https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-499/paper09-Wang.pdf
Group Reminiscence Intervention for Institutionalized
Demented Elders in Taiwan
Jing-Jy Wang
National Cheng Kung University,
Department of Nursing
1 University Road,
Tainan city, Taiwan 701
886-6-2353535 ext. 5845
ns127@mail.ncku.edu.tw
ABSTRACT the health and quality of life of elders.
The purpose of this paper was to introduce the significance of Earlier in 1996, Woods had identified that reminiscence
applying group reminiscence therapy on dementia elders in order intervention can provide cognitively impaired individuals with
to promote their health and quality of life. Several outcome opportunities for social interaction and enjoyment.7 Only three
variables associated with dementia patients, including depressive studies used reminiscence as a care modality for depressed mood,
symptoms, cognitive impairment, behavior competence and functional impairment and behavior competence of elders with
physical functioning were suggested. The procedure of group dementia have been addressed. Baines et al.8 and Thorgrimsen et
reminiscence and cultural sensitive themes designated into each al.9 (2002) used reminiscence therapy for behavioral outcomes of
group reminiscence intervention session were introduced. The a small group of dementia elders; Goldwasser et al.10 measured
reminiscence intervention demonstrated effects for alleviating physical functioning in elders with dementia post reminiscence
depressive symptoms and cognitive impairment, however it did intervention. Therefore, we conducted a clinical trial with larger
not show any effectiveness on increase in behavior competence sample size to test the effects of group reminiscence therapy on
and physical functioning in elders with dementia. In conclusion, depressed and demented residents of long-term elderly care
reminiscence can be a care modality of promoting healthy aging. facilities and to measure the outcome of such intervention on
depressive symptoms, cognitive status, behavioral competence,
and functional abilities of dementia subjects.11, 12
Keywords
Reminiscence, institutionalized elders, depression, behavior, 2. THE INTERVENTION
functional abilities
In our large research project, the experimental subjects received
eight group sessions, one session a week, over an eight week
1. INTRODUCTION period. Each session lasted up to 60 minutes. Each of the eight
sessions had a different theme and was led by one facilitator co-
In Taiwan, the elderly population currently constitutes 10.43% of lead with one co-facilitator.11 The themes included “First
the total population, and is estimated to increase to 20.67% by meeting,” “Childhood experiences,” “Old time flavor,” “Old time
2027.1 Because of the rapid growing of elderly population, more music,” “Festivals,” “My family,” “Younger age,” and “My
elderly care facilities are established to fulfill caring needs of this achievements.”11
group of people. Yet, institutional care for elders in Taiwan
remains to satisfy basic physical needs, services providing for the In the first meeting, group members introduced themselves to
psychosocial well-being of institutionalized elders are less each other and rules of group participation were announced. The
emphasized. Reports from the Taiwan Alzheimer Disease following seven sessions, a variety of themes based on a previous
Association (TADA) identified that roughly 24.5-65.7% of focus group interview among 8 institutionalized elders were
residents residing in long-term care facilities in Taiwan have explored. Childhood experiences include toys long ago for
cognitive impairments.2 Older people with dementia often exhibit Taiwanese children such as, to mold clay figurines, to make and
depressive symptoms, numerous functional impairment and spin a whipping top, to make bamboo whistle and bamboo
behavior problems.3-6 Thus, interventions to manage these dragonfly, to build up earthenware caves, and to play jumping
problems in dementia elders are imperative in order to improve rope, paper cards and sand bag. Old time flavors such as sweet
potato soup and sweet potato rice, green bean soup, sticky rice
cake were reminiscing. Sweet potato served as principal food
Permission to make digital or hard copies of all or part of this work for among older Taiwanese generation. Therefore, sweet potato food
personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are products became a favorite topic in group discussion. Old time
not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that music include both Taiwanese and Japanese old songs due to
copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. To copy
otherwise, or republish, to post on servers or to redistribute to lists,
Japanese colonial rule. Then, the session on Festivals include a
requires prior specific permission and/or a fee. number of traditional Taiwanese holidays. They are Lunar
Conference’04, Month 1–2, 2004, City, State, Country. Chinese year, Dragon boat festival, Tomb-sweeping Day, Mid-
Copyright 2004 ACM 1-58113-000-0/00/0004…$5.00. Autumn festival, Mid-winter festival, Mid-Summer Ghost
Festival. Taiwanese people have special activities for the above 5. REFERENCES
festivals. For example, in Dragon boat festival, people go boating
on a boat with dragon sculpture and eat bamboo-leaf rice. In the
session of My family, elders were invited to share their family life [1] Ministry of Interior. 2009. Department of Social Affairs.
and members in group. Memory triggers such as photographs, http://www.moi.gov.tw/dsa/
household and other familiar items from the past, old time music, [2] Chen, D., Yau, M., Tong, L., Lin, R., Shi, W., and Chen, R.
and old time flavor of food were used. In the session of Younger 2004. Prevalence Rates of Dementia.
age, themes related to fortunate and unfortunate life events such http://www.tada2002.org.tw/~tada/main's%20file/TPR.htm
as grief in separation with Mainland family members, heroic
[3] Helvink, B., and Holroyd, S. 2006. Buspirone for stereotypic
fighting in a war, poverty and difficulty, childhood games and
movements in elderly with cognitive impairment. Journal of
friends and to feel sorry for a person or something involved in a
Neuropsychiatry & Clinical Neurosciences, 18(2), 242-244.
mishap. Other themes related to historical events include World
War II, Japanese colonial rule and counteract with Japanese, [4] Landes, A. M., Susan, D.S., and Strauss, M. E. 2005.
Taiwan Restoration at end of the Qingn Dynasty and in the early Prevalence of apathy, dysphoria, and depression in relation to
Republic of China were also induced. dementia severity in Alzheimer’s disease. Journal of
Neuropsychiatry & Clinical Neurosciences, 17(3), 342-349.
3. EFFECTS OF INTERVENTION
The reminiscence intervention demonstrated effects for alleviating [5] Manthorpe, J., and Lliffe, S. 2006. Depression and dementia:
depressive symptoms and cognitive impairment, however it did taking a dual diagnosis approach. Nursing Older People,
not show any effectiveness on increase in behavior competence 18(2), 24-29.
and physical functioning in elders with dementia. 11, 12 [6] Spira, A.P., Menlo, P., and Edelstein, B.A. 2006. Behavioral
interventions for agitation in older adults with dementia : An
4. CONCLUSION evaluative review. International Psychogeriatrics, 18(2), 195-
The following limitations are acknowledged for future research. 225.
Each study site had both intervention and control participants and [7] Woods, R. T. 1996. Psychological ‘therapies’ in dementia. In
interaction between participants and outside visitors was possible Handbook of the Clinical Psychology of Aging, Woods RT
and could threaten internal validity. Also, long study duration (eds). Wiley: Chichester.
over a period of one year can be another threat to internal validity.
Finally, subjects with excessive disruptive behavior problems [8] Baines, S., Saxby, P., Ehlert, K. 1987. Reality orientation and
were excluded, while such individuals may in fact benefit from reminiscence therapy: a controlled crossover study of elderly
the intervention.12 confused people. British Journal of Psychiatry, 151, 222-231.
Participation in reminiscence activities is a positive and [9] Thorgrimsen, L., Schweitzer, P., and Orrell, M. 2002.
worthwhile experience for dementia elders. Caregivers must Evaluating reminiscence for people with dementia: a pilot
consider the specific cultural values and experiences of older study. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 29, 93-97.
people in around the world. We need to evaluate and design [10] Goldwasser, A.N., Auerbach, S.M., and Harkins SW. 1987.
interventions targeting the health needs of older adults, especially Cognitive, affective, and behavioral effects of reminiscence
those residing in long-term care facilities. Reminiscence offers a group therapy on demented elderly. International Journal of
method of promoting healthy aging. Aging and Human Develop, 25, 209-222.
[11] Wang, J. 2007. Group reminiscence therapy for cognitive
and affective function of demented elderly in Taiwan.
International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 22, 1235-1240.
[12] Wang, J., Yen, M., & OuYang, W. “Group Reminiscence
Intervention in Taiwanese Elders with Dementia”, Archives
of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 2008 in press.