Using Randomised Controlled Trial to Investigate Reminiscence Therapy in Improvement of Elderly Quality of Life: A Case of Wakiso Dist

Introduction: Reminiscence is the act of recollecting past experiences or events. An example of the typical use of the reminiscence is when a person shares his personal stories with others or allows other people to live vicariously through stories of family, friends, and acquaintances. It involves sharing thoughts and feelings of one’s experiences to recall and reflect upon important events within one’s life. The ability to recall and reflect helps older adults remember who they used to be in order to help them define their identity in the current moment.

Objective: The aim of the research was to identify and describe how reminiscence could be used to improve the quality of life of the elderly attending a community social support group and compare it with the population norm. Furthermore, the study sought to evaluate the influence of reminiscence on elderly cognitive function, including presence of depressive symptoms.

Methods: A randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted to investigate whether reminiscence therapy among the community dwelling elderly of Wakiso is associated with increased levels of quality of life. The sample had 364 elderly participants (n=200 control group) and (n=164 intervention group). A 6-week psychosocial group reminiscence therapy programme was conducted. The intervention moderated by the Community Geriatric Volunteers (CGV) used a life-story telling approach, while the control groups participated in casual discussions. Amidst relaxation and music, the CGV served as an informal, supportive, ego-enhancing leader to guide the discussions, on previously preferred foods, music, pictures, stories and old radio programs, as interventions used to provide stimulation for group interaction and emotional relief. The WHOQOL-BREF and MMSE were used as the outcome measures, to assess at baseline (bi), and after 8 months at an interval of 6 weeks after the intervention (pi).

Results: The results showed significant positive outcomes in the intervention group, and a significant difference between the 2 groups CG (p=0.628) and IG (p=0.01), and was predicted in the Self-Reported QoL among the elderly who participated in the intervention. The univariate logistic regression scores showed that predictors of change in the SRQoL were associated with fewer post intervention anxiety symptoms including lower depression scores.

Conclusions: Group reminiscence is an intervention that can lead to significant improvement in the quality of life of the elderly. There is a need for continuing education to provide all health and social care providers with education on this intervention for elderly.