REMINISCENCE

IN POLAND

WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN

POZNAN SINCE THE MEETING IN PRAGUE IN NOVEMBER

2012?

THE REMINISCENCE TRAINING FROM 23RD TO

24TH NOVEMBER 2012

24 people took part in two-day training, including members of Alzheimers’ associations from Poland, carers from welfare homes, social workers, psychologists, therapists, students of social work and pedagogy.

In the programme they could participate in lectures about reminiscence methods, the meaning of telling live stories for caring and therepeutic procedures for people with dementia, „best practice” –projects for caring for people with dementia; they took part in two workshops – about using objects in reminiscence and about reminiscence with using elements of choreotherapy and movement.

.

Opinions about the training were positive:

•„very useful information about using reminiscence in our daily work with people with dementia”

•„good atmosphere”

•„well prepared practical knowledge about reminiscence”

•„professionally prepared and presented”

•„it was very interesting to practice reminiscence based on our own life experience”

CHORETHERAPY

Maria Skommer, Professor at the Medical University in Poznan, Vice-President of the Polish Association of Choreotherapy, works for Polish Dance Theater – Poznan Ballet,

Maria leads monthly therapy sessions for people with dementia for the second time – once a month

CHORETHERAPY

THE REMINISCENCE TRAINING ON 15TH MARCH 2013

The second edition of reminiscence training „to rescue from oblivion” took place at the College of Social Workers (Kolegium Pracowników Służb Społecznych) in Poznan. The participants could listen to the lectures about the development of reminiscence in Poland given by Ph.D. Lidia Huber. The importance of „telling life stories” was presented by Ms Anna Nowak who is one of the coordinators of this project. The life history is important for professional care and therapeutic practice.18 people took part in training

The participants of the training attended the workshops that showed work with people suffering from Alzheimer's disease.

There are four methods which we use to bring back memories of people with dementia: some props (e.g. photos, things,

CDs) important events (e.g.

celebrations, family events, visited places)

stimulated conversation (a person tells what memories the presented prop brings)

imagination (e.g. “Imagine that there on the plate is your favourite dish from your childhood. What is it? Can you tell me?”)

„Dance is one of the rare areas of people’s activity which completely involves: body, soul and mind” Choretherapy workshops showed how to build confidence between caregivers and participants. Using motion in the reminiscence therapy with people suffering from dementia helped us to express understanding and to satisfy their needs.

Results:

18 persons were trained (social workers, carrers, workers from social services)

Participants received a briefcase with materials; programme, abstracts, questionnaire of evaluation

We got to know new methods of communication with people with dementia

We introduced reminiscence by ourselves

New: musical meetings with reminiscence

Jaroslaw Kaminski – psychologist, musician, lead 5 meetings with people with dementia and their carrers

musical meetings were held once a month

the proposed forms include : music therapy, listening to songs with, for example, favourite songs from the youth or childhood of participants.

The music – can affect people with Alzheimer syndrome in different ways and cause different machanisms, ecpecially:

inducing associations associated with senses and emotions;

refers to memories of people with dementia.

exercise of thinking, memory, attention and other cognitive processes in order to prevent further memory loss;

learning;

maintaining the current levels of orientation by referring to events, phenomena, etc. of the patient's past and present reality;

Stimulating motion and movement and dance

Music used in reminiscence meetings with elements of music therapy:

•listening to fragments of „ A Midsummer Night's Dream" by Mendelssohn may cause vivid memories

•active music therapy, for example simple pieces of familiar melodies played on the piano or with simple percussion instruments

•other forms of artistic activities such as drawing (drawing associations for listening to music), dance (ex. waltz, polonaise) and using a broader situational context such as a very popular Christmas carols during the meeting

Responses of participants to sessions

•“I really liked the meetings about the music. After a long time, I found again my favorite songs, that I could listen to every morning. I realized, that each song refreshed my memories about people and situations. The most surprising thing is that I still have the same feeling about those times and situations. At one meeting, one of the group members presented a song that I had never heard before. From that time on, I listened to it very often, I feel I have gained a new memory with it."

•„I was surprised by the warmth and open-ness of members of the meeting.”

•„I don't like sadness and crying. Here it is completely different. We have fun, we have a lot of surprising, pleasant situations and activities.”

•„It is a way to relieve suffering.”

•„I want to spend more time with my relative. It lets me find a very special way of talking with that person. I understand more than before”.

•„I was surprised that old people can remember such particular things. I realize how much I had forgotten.”

Old and new cooperation with Sroda Wielkopolska

We built two memory boxes in 2005 and started to cooperate

Now we would like to use different forms of reminiscence therapy in common actions eg. manual, musical, situational („my special day”, „things I liked”, pictures made of fabrics”, „books of rememberance”)

New idea: unemployed people are engaged in caring for people with dementia (two persons from the project „be helping others I’m helplng myself”)

Cooperation with Social Services Centre in Serene Autumn House

The use of reminiscence in occupational therapy

Create a book of memories by participants during summer  holidays for seniors

Efekty z organizowania kursu1. DPJ – miejscem „praktycznej nauki starości”

Effects of the organization of the course

„House Serene Autumn”

place of "practical learning of ageing„

unemployed women

Olderpeople

and people with

disabilities

education

1. Gaining not only theoretical knowledge but also practical,2. The verification of qualifications,3. Having proven manpower to carry the work forward4. Guarantee of quality services5. Fight against unemployment

Serene Autumn House- apprenticeship place – carrer s of elderly and disabled

Serene Autumn House – the old and the new building

Joint action ... and give joy not only for seniors,but also to the organizers.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION

Reminiscence on-line

•www.rememberingtogether.eu

•www.reminiscencepoland.eu