Reminiscence Therapy: Bringing Memories Back to Life

Certain residential and adult day programs in the United States are exploring reminiscence therapy — in which photos, music, memorabilia, and other materials are used to create immersive environments — to help people with dementia evoke long-term memories, reports U.S. News & World Report . Glenner Town Square in Chula Vista, Calif., is an interactive senior day care center, where professional caregivers guide participants through a series of storefronts and activities to recall old memories. Experts like the Indiana Alzheimer Disease Center's Daniel Bateman see potential in reminiscence therapy, when combined with specially designed environments. The therapy can occur anytime and anywhere, using objects from past eras to trigger moments of clarity. "Reminiscence can be a good fit for people with dementia as it provides an opportunity to concentrate on those memories that are more intact and focus on what that person can remember, rather than memory that is impaired," notes Laura O'Philbin at the Alzheimer Society of Ireland.