Authors: Cassandra Dinius, Carmen Pocknell, Richard Roche, Department of Psychology & Assisting Living and Learning (ALL) Institute, Maynooth University
L to R Carmen Pocknell, Richard Roche, Cassandra Dinius
Remember those life moments that you think are unforgettable and yet, are already blurred one year later. Our precious memories are fragile and can evaporate as rapidly as a blink of an eye. Memory loss has taken so many dreams away.
Keeping our brains active – especially our memories – can be life changing, and is comparable to revisiting our favourite, faded old book: by reading it again and again, we keep the moments alive…
Maynooth Illuminations exhibition space – Maynooth University
Memory is arguably the most important cognitive function we possess, and its loss leaves a profound gap in many aspects of life. The progressive deterioration of brain structures responsible for memory – so common in old age, and even more so in degenerative conditions – robs people of so much: their most treasured moments, their ability to recognise friends and family, their independence, their confidence, their very sense of self. While pharmaceutical remedies for memory decline remain unsuccessful, research with lifestyle-based, non-pharmacological interventions may offer promising avenues for the future. Among these approaches in Reminiscence Therapy, whereby older people – often in group settings – meet regularly to actively recall and share memories from earlier life epochs, with the process often steered by a moderator. At one time, older adults reminiscing was considered a worrying sign, suggesting some form of regression, but since Butler’s seminal paper in 1961, the benefits of reminiscence – resolving affairs, giving meaning to life – have been well studied, leading to the adoption of Reminiscence Therapy in many care homes and hospitals.
