Summary
A Cochrane Review of reminiscence therapy for dementia has been updated to reflect the latest evidence on the efficacy of this diverse group of interventions for people living with dementia and their carers. This review attempts to accommodate differences in approaches to reminiscence therapy, including the setting (whether in care homes, or in other community-based locations) and modality (whether group or individual).
Conclusions drawn by this review are difficult to summarise simply and with clarity.
“The effects of reminiscence interventions are inconsistent, often small in size and can differ considerably across settings and modalities”.
The authors call for more robust randomised controlled trials, in order to be able to perhaps settle this topic one way or the other. At a time when health and social care budgets are not unlimited, this is not a question of mere academic curiosity.
Reference
Woods, B. O’Philbin, L. [and] Farrell, EM. [et al] (2018). Reminiscence therapy for dementia. Database of Systematic Reviews. March 1st 2018; 3: CD001120.
There is also an Executive Summary.
