Group Reminiscence Therapy for Elderly People With Cognitive Decline in Institutional Context

Overview

The project presented here respond to this emerging need by implementing a Reminiscence Therapy program dedicated to elderly people in an institutional context. This will be a multicenter, randomized controlled study in which the participants' allocation will be made without their knowledge. Before the randomization process, the screening evaluation will be done, which will allow to verify the presence of the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The target population will be people age 65 or above years who present cognitive decline. After the randomization process, participants will be allocated randomly in the experimental group where the reminiscence program (composed by a main strand and maintenance strand) or in the usual institutional care group. The evaluation of the participants will be carried out individually and will take place in four different moments.This study will be conducted in RSE in the central region of Portugal.

There are an estimated 46 million people with major Neurocognitive Disorders, and this figure is expected to increase to double every 20 years, with about 131.5 million people diagnosed by 2050 (Prince et al., 2015). The economic impact is significant, with costs estimated at US $ 818 million (Prince et al., 2015). In 2018, this value is expected to reach the trillion US dollar level, with serious implications for global societies and government authorities (Prince et al., 2015). Elderly people with cognitive decline progressively lose their cognitive capacities and experience motor disorders, leading, in more advanced stages of the disease, to family and carer burden, which often culminate in their institutionalization. According to Kuske et al. (2009), about 60% of all institutionalized people in industrialized countries present some form of dementia, which poses new challenges for these institutions and for its professionals. This process is inevitably associated with an increase in the prevalence of chronic degenerative diseases, particularly neurocognitive disorders (NCD). The category of NCD includes all the disorders in which the primary clinical deficit is in cognitive function, being this deficit acquired (documented by standardized neurological tests or by quantitative clinical evaluation), that is, it represents a decline from a previous functional level (APA, 2013). In this sequential line, priority is given to the design of interventions that effectively focus on the stimulation of best practices for active aging, aiming at the implementation of measures that minimize the impact of NCD by slowing down their progression or modulating their associated symptomatology (Directorate General for Health, 2016). Knowing that the drugs introduced so far in clinical practice are restricted to symptomatic control, not being able to prevent the progression of the disease, non-pharmacological interventions have been gaining special prominence. The literature emphasizes the value of Reminiscence as a strategy for people with cognitive deficits. This stimulating intervention is based on the recovery of significant life events with special focus on resolving past conflicts. Reminiscence is a pleasant and stimulating activity that contributes to the reduction of social isolation, revealing itself as a strategy to promote interpersonal relations (Cooney et al., 2014; Gibson, 2004). It has been reported as an intervention associated with pleasure, safety and sense of belonging (Cappeliez \& O'Rourke, 2006). It is also a low-cost therapeutic option (Siverová \& Bužgová, 2014). In addition, according to Westerhof, Bohlmeijer and Webster (2010), the exchange of autobiographical memories through Reminiscence, even in the final stages of the dementia, can produce considerable and measurable gains that are reflected in increased levels of well-being, decreased depression levels and improved cognitive function as well as increased verbal fluency. In view of the above, it is considered that the implementation of a structured Reminiscence program can maximize cognitive functioning, improve depressive symptoms and promote quality of life by facilitating the adaptation process and contributing to the promotion of the dignity of people with cognitive decline and who are in Day Care regime or living in Residential Structures for the Elderly (RSE).