中華心理衛生協會

 Purpose: Previous research demonstrated that reminiscence programs are effective in improving the depression and cognitive function of elderly adults with mild to moderate dementia. We explored the subjective experiences of community-dwelling elderly individuals in Taiwan with mild to moderate dementia as they participated in an intervention in the form of a reminiscence group in order to identify their perceptions of this intervention. Methods: We applied a qualitative approach with purposive sampling to conduct semi-structured in-depth interviews, resulting in a total of 39 participants from northern Taiwan. After transcribing the interviews verbatim, we extracted the content into relevant themes. Results: The analysis revealed 5 major themes: (1) reintegration of life and self-worth, (2) reduction of negative emotions, (3) enhancement of community activity participation, (4) affirmation of individual uniqueness, and (5) expression of the meaning and value of life. The intervention not only evoked memories for the participants, but also enhanced their mental health by allowing the opportunity for them to reintegrate meaning and self-worth in their lives and affirm their individuality, which enabled them to express their personal meaning and value of life and reduce negative emotions. Participants generally reported that these activities helped them to establish good social connections. Conclusions: These findings address the challenges faced by caregivers for community-dwelling elderly individuals experiencing cognitive decline by demonstrating the effectiveness of reminiscence groups. Group participation increased the opportunity for social interaction and strengthened social participation, both of which support better coping. We recommend addressing the inner needs of individuals with dementia during the caregiving process, facilitating communication, and promoting social participation. This study may serve as a reference for dementia care programs. Additional research is needed to explore the subjective experiences of individuals with dementia in other social contexts.