The preponderance of older women in the United States is apparent to all professionals in health care for elderly individuals. Because there is much emphasis on health care promotion for all age groups, providers of health care seek strategies for health promotion for older women. Although the literature is replete with information on reminiscence in general, and specifically reminiscence group therapy, there has been little discussion about the use of themes in reminiscence therapy groups. There are no publications about themes appropriate for reminiscence groups composed solely of older women. This article is based on three research studies and analyzes themes used in the three protocols for those studies. Appropriate themes for an all women's group are discussed and implications for practice are suggested.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
UhlenbergP., Older Women: The Growing Challenge to Design Constructive Roles, Gerontologist, 19, pp. 232–241, 1979.
2.
AARP, A Profile of Older Americans, American Association of Retired Persons, Washington, D.C., 1990.
3.
BurnsideI., Group Work with Older Women: A Modality to Improve the Quality of Life, Journal of Women and Aging, 1, pp. 265–290, 1989.
4.
CookE., The Effect of Reminiscence Group Therapy on Depressed Institutionalized Elders, unpublished doctoral dissertation, School of Nursing, The University of Texas at Austin, 1988.
5.
LoveladyM. S., The Effects of Reminiscence Therapy on Self-esteem in Institutionalized Elderly, unpublished master's thesis, Troy State University, New York, 1987.
6.
TourangeauA., Group Reminiscence Therapy as a Nursing Intervention: An Experimental Study, AARN Newsletter, 44, Part I, pp. 17–18, Part II, pp. 29–30, 1988.
7.
KingK., Reminiscing Group Experiences with Aging People, unpublished master's thesis, College of Nursing, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, 1979.
8.
BramlettM. H., Power, Creativity and Reminiscence in the Elderly, unpublished doctoral dissertation, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia, 1990.
9.
GiltinanJ. M., Using Life Review to Facilitate Self-actualization in Elderly Women, Gerontology & Geriatrics Education, 10:4, pp. 75–83, 1990.
10.
KovachC. R., Reminiscence: Exploring the Origins, Processes and Consequences, Nursing Forum, 26:3, pp. 14–20, 1991.
11.
HaightB. and BurnsideI., Reminiscence and Life Review: Conducting the Processes, Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 16:2, pp. 39–42, 1992.
12.
BurnsideI. and HaightB., Reminiscence and Life Review: Analyzing Each Concept, Journal of Advanced Nursing, 17, pp. 855–862, 1992.
13.
TappenR. and TouhyT., The Effectiveness of Reminiscence Group Work on Mood Levels of Institutionalized Older Adults, paper presented at the Gerontological Society of America meeting, Chicago, Illinois, November 23, 1986.
14.
YoussefF. A., The Impact of Group Reminiscence Counseling on a Depressed Elderly Population, Nurse Practitioner, 15:4, pp. 32–38, 1990.
15.
ReedD. M. and CobbleH. R., Tools for Reminiscence with Veterans, Clinical Gerontologist, 4:4, pp. 53–57, 1986.
16.
WilkinsonC. S., A Descriptive Study of Increased Social Intervention through Group Reminiscing in Institutionalized Elderly, unpublished master's thesis, Community Health Nursing, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, 1978.
17.
BirrenJ. E. and DeutchmanD. E., Guiding Autobiography Groups for Older Adults, The John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, pp. 67–79, 1991.
18.
KuhnM., quoted in HesselD., Life Review in Maggie Kuhn on Aging, The Westminster Press, Philadelphia, pp. 30–40, 1977.
19.
BurnsideI., The Effect of Reminiscence Groups on Fatigue, Affect, and Life Satisfaction in Elderly Women, unpublished doctoral dissertation, School of Nursing, The University of Texas at Austin, 1990.
20.
BurnsideI., The Effects of Reminiscence Group Therapy on Anxiety and Depression in Elderly Women: A Pilot Study, unpublished manuscript, 1989.
21.
BurnsideI., The Effect of Reminiscence Group, Affect, and Life Satisfaction in Elderly Women, A Cross-cultural Study, unpublished manuscript, 1992.
22.
TaylorS. J. and BodganR., Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods, John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1984.
23.
MerriamS. B., The Structure of Simple Reminiscence, The Gerontologist, 29:6, pp. 761–767, 1989.
24.
RabbitP. and McInnisL., Do Clever Old People Have Earlier and Richer Memories?, Psychology and Aging, 3:4, pp. 338–341, 1988.
25.
TobinS., The Earliest Memory as Data for Research in Aging, in Researching, Planning and Action for the Elderly, KentD. R.KastenbaumR., and SherwoodS. (eds.), Behavior Publications, New York, 1972.
26.
HavighurstR. and GlasserR., An Exploratory Study of Reminiscence, Journal of Gerontology, 27, pp. 243–253, 1972.
27.
RodriquezA. W., A Descriptive Study of Selected Props used to Elicit Memories in Elders, unpublished master's thesis, School of Nursing, The University of Texas, Austin, Texas, 1990.
28.
MerriamS. B., Reminiscence and the Life Review: The Potential for Educational Intervention, in Introduction to Educational Gerontology (3rd Edition), SherronR. H. and LumsdenD. B. (eds.), Hemisphere Publishing, New York, 1990.
