As we age, our treasure trove of memories becomes a rich tapestry that defines our lives. But did you know that indulging in the past can do more than just bring a smile to your face? It turns out, reminiscing isn't just a nostalgic trip down memory lane; it's a journey that can significantly improve the physical and mental health of older people. Here at the Seniors Discount Club, we're all about embracing the golden years with gusto, and today, we're delving into the heartwarming world of storytelling and its surprising health benefits.

Dimity Brassil, a woman who grew up in the embrace of her mother Anne's stories, knows the power of a good tale. Anne, a nonagenarian with a background in English literature, is a natural-born storyteller, steeped in the Irish oral tradition. In 2018, Dimity embarked on a mission to preserve her mother's stories through a 'private podcast,' a venture that Anne was initially hesitant to join. However, once the recordings began, Anne found the process to be psychologically therapeutic, offering her a chance to reflect on her life's journey and find closure in her experiences.

Reliving great memories could be therapeutic for seniors, as it gives them something to look back on. Image Credit: Pexels/Andrea Piacquadio

This act of sharing and reflecting is known as reminiscence therapy, or life review therapy, and it's gaining recognition as a valuable tool for enhancing the well-being of seniors. It can be facilitated through one-on-one sessions, using photos and videos, or in group settings, where the collective sharing of stories can foster a sense of community and belonging.

The health benefits of reminiscence therapy are backed by research. For older adults living independently, reminiscing can boost quality of life and satisfaction, and may even alleviate symptoms of depression. For those with cognitive impairments, such as dementia, the therapy can help improve cognitive function and reduce anxiety, agitation, and confusion. Professor Kasia Bail from the University of Canberra emphasizes the importance of helping individuals with dementia maintain a sense of self, which can be particularly challenging during hospital stays where unfamiliar environments can exacerbate symptoms.

Innovative approaches to reminiscence therapy are emerging, including the use of technology. Professor Bail's team experimented with a mobile app in a Canberra care home to facilitate storytelling and found that it encouraged residents, especially those with dementia, to re-engage in social activities. The app, which prompts users with topics and questions, allowed residents to take control of the conversation and share their stories more actively.

The benefits of reminiscence therapy extend beyond the individual. It supports person-centred care, a healthcare approach that prioritizes the person's individuality and preferences. By understanding a patient's background and interests, healthcare providers can deliver more effective and compassionate care. For instance, a former bricklayer might find comfort in discussing architecture, while another person might be soothed by a simple cup of tea.

For those interested in exploring reminiscence therapy, it's important to approach it with sensitivity, considering any potential traumas and cultural backgrounds. Dimity Brassil's project, 'A Lasting Tale', offers guidance for those wanting to collect family stories, emphasizing the importance of starting with joyful topics, respecting boundaries, and building trust.

The transformative effect of storytelling is profound. It's a privilege to witness the unfolding of a person's life story and to see the positive impact it can have on their health and well-being. Every person has a story worth telling, and as Dimity discovered, even the seemingly mundane tales can be captivating when shared with love and attention.

So, dear members, why not take a leaf out of Dimity's book and start recording your own stories or those of your loved ones? Not only will it provide a cherished record for future generations, but it might just unlock the secret to a more vibrant and healthier life. Have you tried reminiscing or storytelling as a form of therapy? Share your experiences in the comments below – we'd love to hear your tales!

Key Takeaways

• Reminiscence therapy, or life review therapy, is recognised for improving the physical and mental health of older people, and can be especially beneficial in easing symptoms of depression and improving quality of life.
• Engaging in structured storytelling or reminiscence can improve cognitive function and alleviate symptoms such as anxiety, agitation, and confusion in individuals with dementia.
• The use of technology, like a mobile app, can facilitate reminiscence therapy and help people with dementia re-engage in social activities, while providing valuable information for healthcare professionals to deliver person-centred care.
• Collecting and honouring personal stories through interviews or tools can be a rewarding process that connects families, helps individuals find closure and brings to light the unique and meaningful narratives of every person.

And remember, for more insights into enhancing the quality of life for older Australians, check out Maggie Beer's Big Mission on ABC iview. It's a treasure trove of inspiration for living life to the fullest, no matter your age.

 

[LJ Cool]

I do agree that talking to our elderly folk about their past helps. It makes them happy to reminisce about the good old days. I also think it can make you grieve a bit, for a life you once had when you were young, fit and healthy. I'd be interested to know if anyone else has came across this.

 

[Wendy]

My Granddaughter bought me this book for Christmas, it has 203 pages, each page has a question about my life with lots of room for answers. Questions are from my childhood, adolescence, adulthood, marriage and parenthood, middle age and wisdom. Lots of questions to make you reminisce. It's going to take me a long time to answer all the questions.

 

[BellaB18]

Everyone has a story, and you may not think anyone is interested, you would be surprised. My grandkids love hearing my stories about growing up in the 60s the things we got up to that kids of today will never experience. Asking people what they did for jobs, school days, visiting grandparents, places they lived first loves, first cars family dynamics. Writing is wonderful it gets the brain working and you might even realise you have a lot more to offer than you think. Give it a try.
Kind regards to all Vicki

 

[Dynamo]

I really believe that seniors benefit from relating their life stories to trusted and patient listeners. It helps to get all our life experiences in order and remember outcomes beneficial or not! I intend to write mine down if I have time! A very busy puppy is my little companion. She is 2 years old tomorrow and chewing my discarded shoes at this minute.

 

[Simon]

My daughter Monique came to me and told me she had bought me a book for fathers day last Sept 2023.
This was 6:00 am, I am an early riser and love reading. She said, there were no words in the book as yet.

I proudly turn 85 this year and Monique doesn't want to know she turns 60 this year, so funny that.
The book is called "My Fathers Life" same as Wendy's book with all the questions about my life.

By December 2023, I ran out of pages, and chronologically it was out of sync, simply not enough space.
Monique knew this and had bought me a second book for me to continue my life story in Dec 2023.

She told me, she didn't know if she could get a third one as the second one too, is not enough for my life story. In my life story I just fell deeply in love with my wife Willy at age 15 and we now have been married 66+ years. There is still some 70 years of stories to come. I had love to tell you in 3,5 years time that we have been married for 70 years. Wouldn't that be some party?
Years of up and downs, migrating from The Netherlands to Australia with our 5 children back in 1969. We became "New Australians" in 1974. We arrived on a Friday in August 1969, and I started working for Alcoa in Geelong, 6 months later moved to "Shell Refining Australia, PTY." Retired from this company in 1994.

In 1972 our 6th child a boy was born a bit of a late comer. However, we lost him in April 1974 when Willy had a car accident. Crushed by a speeding truck not giving way to her coming from right. That was a difficult time as Willy was in hospital for some 6 months and more later. She recovered and nothing stops, life goes on and we had 5 other kids to bring up, to nurture to educate and to love.

I was born in 'Dutch Indonesia' at the time in1939 a colony of The Netherlands and of course being Dutch we were interned by the Japanese occupying forces in the Second WW. I was 6 year of age when we were liberated from the Japanese. My father, a professional military man survived working on the Burma Death Rail Road as a POW. Transported to Japan to work in the coal mines in Nagasaki and survived the dropping of the "FATMAN" atom Bomb on the 9th of Aug 1945 by the USA in a B29 Bomber called Boxcar.

When he recovered the "Indonesian Nationalist Movement" uprising put him back in a war situation from 1945 till 1950 when his family (wife and 4 children including myself) were finally repatriated to The Netherlands. All my father knew was war, for some 10 years when he had peace, finally. He served out his military career and retired at age 49. This I included to explain that indeed I, with my family and later with my wife and children have an eventful past. I will also mention that I was seconded to Saudi Arabia from 1983 to 1988. Meaning I lived for 11 year in Indonesia my formative years, 19 years in The Netherlands and since 1969 in Australia, the country I love and so do our children. And 4 years in Saudi Arabia. We also traveled a lot. 55 years wonderful Australia, more that half my life time.

Our children, have given us 16 grandchildren between them, and then 17 great grandchildren and counting. So I am writing this article and know that even the third book I have bought, will not be enough to cover the legacy I love to leave behind for our children, grand and great grandchildren. Myself and my wife have done our DNA tests as well showing where we came from, who we are and now the mixing with Australian blood lines for grand and great gran children. A great big Melting Pot. (by Blue Mink)

And of course I will be running out of time, but does that mater? I don't think so. In the meantime I continue my long hand cursive writing and spill over my hard drive in my brains, onto the pages in the books I have and the ones still to purchase. Our eldest grandson is 40 years of age, none of the grandkids sit in my lap anymore as they used to do listening to my stories. But they can all read. Our eldest great grandchild is 15 years of age and the youngest just a few months. I do consider myself and my wife blessed to experience all this and what more is to come.

So folks do sit down and exercise the dexterity of your fingers. Let your mind travel back in time, the good and the bad. You may be a lot sharper than you think you are. Do it for your children, grand and great grand children. I know long hand is not for everyone, but you can do what I do now on your laptop or PC.
On this note I wish all readers of my article all the best, oldies and young ones and enjoy the Olympics.

CHEERS.

 

[Wendy]

My daughter Monique came to me and told me she had bought me a book for fathers day last Sept 2023.
This was 6:00 am, I am an early riser and love reading. She said, there were no words in the book as yet.

I proudly turn 85 this year and Monique doesn't want to know she turns 60 this year, so funny that.
The book is called "My Fathers Life" same as Wendy's book with all the questions about my life.

By December 2023, I ran out of pages, and chronologically it was out of sync, simply not enough space.
Monique knew this and had bought me a second book for me to continue my life story in Dec 2023.

She told me, she didn't know if she could get a third one as the second one too, is not enough for my life story. In my life story I just fell deeply in love with my wife Willy at age 15 and we now have been married 66+ years. There is still some 70 years of stories to come. I had love to tell you in 3,5 years time that we have been married for 70 years. Wouldn't that be some party?
Years of up and downs, migrating from The Netherlands to Australia with our 5 children back in 1969. We became "New Australians" in 1974. We arrived on a Friday in August 1969, and I started working for Alcoa in Geelong, 6 months later moved to "Shell Refining Australia, PTY." Retired from this company in 1994.

In 1972 our 6th child a boy was born a bit of a late comer. However, we lost him in April 1974 when Willy had a car accident. Crushed by a speeding truck not giving way to her coming from right. That was a difficult time as Willy was in hospital for some 6 months and more later. She recovered and nothing stops, life goes on and we had 5 other kids to bring up, to nurture to educate and to love.

I was born in 'Dutch Indonesia' at the time in1939 a colony of The Netherlands and of course being Dutch we were interned by the Japanese occupying forces in the Second WW. I was 6 year of age when we were liberated from the Japanese. My father, a professional military man survived working on the Burma Death Rail Road as a POW. Transported to Japan to work in the coal mines in Nagasaki and survived the dropping of the "FATMAN" atom Bomb on the 9th of Aug 1945 by the USA in a B29 Bomber called Boxcar.

When he recovered the "Indonesian Nationalist Movement" uprising put him back in a war situation from 1945 till 1950 when his family (wife and 4 children including myself) were finally repatriated to The Netherlands. All my father knew was war, for some 10 years when he had peace, finally. He served out his military career and retired at age 49. This I included to explain that indeed I, with my family and later with my wife and children have an eventful past. I will also mention that I was seconded to Saudi Arabia from 1983 to 1988. Meaning I lived for 11 year in Indonesia my formative years, 19 years in The Netherlands and since 1969 in Australia, the country I love and so do our children. And 4 years in Saudi Arabia. We also traveled a lot. 55 years wonderful Australia, more that half my life time.

Our children, have given us 16 grandchildren between them, and then 17 great grandchildren and counting. So I am writing this article and know that even the third book I have bought, will not be enough to cover the legacy I love to leave behind for our children, grand and great grandchildren. Myself and my wife have done our DNA tests as well showing where we came from, who we are and now the mixing with Australian blood lines for grand and great gran children. A great big Melting Pot. (by Blue Mink)

And of course I will be running out of time, but does that mater? I don't think so. In the meantime I continue my long hand cursive writing and spill over my hard drive in my brains, onto the pages in the books I have and the ones still to purchase. Our eldest grandson is 40 years of age, none of the grandkids sit in my lap anymore as they used to do listening to my stories. But they can all read. Our eldest great grandchild is 15 years of age and the youngest just a few months. I do consider myself and my wife blessed to experience all this and what more is to come.

So folks do sit down and exercise the dexterity of your fingers. Let your mind travel back in time, the good and the bad. You may be a lot sharper than you think you are. Do it for your children, grand and great grand children. I know long hand is not for everyone, but you can do what I do now on your laptop or PC.
On this note I wish all readers of my article all the best, oldies and young ones and enjoy the Olympics.

CHEERS.

Some of the questions really make you think, and remember things you'd forgotten. I'm not doing the questions in order, I just randomly open the book to a question and it takes me back in time. I love it. My granddaughter was hoping I'd have it done by this Christmas, no chance, lots more to remember and write about.

 

[DLHM]

Reminiscing can bring back wonderful feelings of the past; just beware of it becoming an obsession and living in the past. Knowing the balance is key.

 

[BellaB18]

My daughter Monique came to me and told me she had bought me a book for fathers day last Sept 2023.
This was 6:00 am, I am an early riser and love reading. She said, there were no words in the book as yet.

I proudly turn 85 this year and Monique doesn't want to know she turns 60 this year, so funny that.
The book is called "My Fathers Life" same as Wendy's book with all the questions about my life.

By December 2023, I ran out of pages, and chronologically it was out of sync, simply not enough space.
Monique knew this and had bought me a second book for me to continue my life story in Dec 2023.

She told me, she didn't know if she could get a third one as the second one too, is not enough for my life story. In my life story I just fell deeply in love with my wife Willy at age 15 and we now have been married 66+ years. There is still some 70 years of stories to come. I had love to tell you in 3,5 years time that we have been married for 70 years. Wouldn't that be some party?
Years of up and downs, migrating from The Netherlands to Australia with our 5 children back in 1969. We became "New Australians" in 1974. We arrived on a Friday in August 1969, and I started working for Alcoa in Geelong, 6 months later moved to "Shell Refining Australia, PTY." Retired from this company in 1994.

In 1972 our 6th child a boy was born a bit of a late comer. However, we lost him in April 1974 when Willy had a car accident. Crushed by a speeding truck not giving way to her coming from right. That was a difficult time as Willy was in hospital for some 6 months and more later. She recovered and nothing stops, life goes on and we had 5 other kids to bring up, to nurture to educate and to love.

I was born in 'Dutch Indonesia' at the time in1939 a colony of The Netherlands and of course being Dutch we were interned by the Japanese occupying forces in the Second WW. I was 6 year of age when we were liberated from the Japanese. My father, a professional military man survived working on the Burma Death Rail Road as a POW. Transported to Japan to work in the coal mines in Nagasaki and survived the dropping of the "FATMAN" atom Bomb on the 9th of Aug 1945 by the USA in a B29 Bomber called Boxcar.

When he recovered the "Indonesian Nationalist Movement" uprising put him back in a war situation from 1945 till 1950 when his family (wife and 4 children including myself) were finally repatriated to The Netherlands. All my father knew was war, for some 10 years when he had peace, finally. He served out his military career and retired at age 49. This I included to explain that indeed I, with my family and later with my wife and children have an eventful past. I will also mention that I was seconded to Saudi Arabia from 1983 to 1988. Meaning I lived for 11 year in Indonesia my formative years, 19 years in The Netherlands and since 1969 in Australia, the country I love and so do our children. And 4 years in Saudi Arabia. We also traveled a lot. 55 years wonderful Australia, more that half my life time.

Our children, have given us 16 grandchildren between them, and then 17 great grandchildren and counting. So I am writing this article and know that even the third book I have bought, will not be enough to cover the legacy I love to leave behind for our children, grand and great grandchildren. Myself and my wife have done our DNA tests as well showing where we came from, who we are and now the mixing with Australian blood lines for grand and great gran children. A great big Melting Pot. (by Blue Mink)

And of course I will be running out of time, but does that mater? I don't think so. In the meantime I continue my long hand cursive writing and spill over my hard drive in my brains, onto the pages in the books I have and the ones still to purchase. Our eldest grandson is 40 years of age, none of the grandkids sit in my lap anymore as they used to do listening to my stories. But they can all read. Our eldest great grandchild is 15 years of age and the youngest just a few months. I do consider myself and my wife blessed to experience all this and what more is to come.

So folks do sit down and exercise the dexterity of your fingers. Let your mind travel back in time, the good and the bad. You may be a lot sharper than you think you are. Do it for your children, grand and great grand children. I know long hand is not for everyone, but you can do what I do now on your laptop or PC.
On this note I wish all readers of my article all the best, oldies and young ones and enjoy the Olympics.

CHEERS.

Oh Simon darling, what an interesting wonderful rich life you have lived and so blessed to have beautiful Willy.
You have a book to write. I for one would love to read it.
Bless you Willy and your huge family.
Best wishes and kind regards Vicki