Research Paper on Reminiscence in Older Adulthood
Older adults are often perceived as vulnerable by societal stereotypes, mainly due to age-related changes that affect their independence, health, and functional ability (Hirst et al., 2015). However, older adults are more than ageist stereotypes; they are resilient beings with complex stories and wisdom due to their long years of living (Touhy et al., 2019). Healthcare providers must remain unbiased when providing person-centered care to clients, regardless of their age (Fazio et al., 2018) This paper will discuss the concept of reminiscence and how it benefits the health of older adults, how it is a key aspect of therapeutic communication that is evident in the interview with Anne Jarman, and examples of using reminiscence through question prompt in a conversation to obtain crucial information for an older adult’s direction of care.
Reminiscence in Therapeutic Interventions
The integration of reminiscence in therapeutic interventions is an important aspect to consider for nursing practice, as it facilitates regaining memories of past experiences, cultivates a sense of security through recalling comforting memories, nurtures feelings of belonging through sharing life stories, and strengthens self-esteem through the confirmation of uniqueness (Touhy et al., 2019). Older adults can experience many losses throughout their lifetime which may include loss following retirement, loss related to chronic illnesses, and loss of companionship by the death of friends or widowhood that may contribute to an overall loss of an older adult’s identity (Hirst et al., 2015). Considering that, the simultaneous accumulation of losses may adversely affect the quality of life and personhood of older adults (Touhy et al., 2019). Fazio et al. (2018) defines personhood as having “…an identity to know who one is... A sense of continuity with the past, hence a “narrative”, a story present to others” (S11). To provide person-centered care, nurses must be able to build and nurture relationships with clients (Fazio et al., 2018). Reminiscing allows nurses to gain access to older clients while also helping them cope with their past, as they tell stories about the causes and effects of their actions, in addition to addressing personal issues, perceptions and values that may influence judgment of their worth (Hirst & Raffin, 2001). In that coping is an action directed towards changes through conscious or unconscious thoughts (Buchanan, 2021), reminiscence assists in capturing narratives of older adults where the outer story would imply an inner story (Hirst & Raffin, 2001). Using these narratives, nurses can collect data and plan person-centered care for older adults, while promoting self-efficacy by highlighting their resilience in overcoming adversities in their lives (Hirst et al., 2015). In this way, older adults may be able to achieve ego integrity, a major developmental milestone, which is when a person is at peace with both triumphs and disappointments in their lives (Touhy et al., 2019).
Reminiscence with Anne Jarman
The interview of Brownlee (2019) with Anne Jarman depicts how reminiscence allows an individual to discuss life experiences that shaped them, while also obtaining information on supports that could benefit older adults. Anne Jarman was an 86-year-old woman who was previously married to a male Southern Baptist Minister, until she came out as a lesbian in 1983 when she met her then-partner, Barbara (Brownlee, 2019). Jarman lived with Barbara for 18 years; they first met at a company function where they shared stories about their dating experiences with men and shared each other’s opinions about being lesbian which primarily initiated their relationship. Brownlee (2019) promoted personhood in this interview by asking questions like, “When and how did you realize that you were a lesbian?” and “How did you meet your partner?” to identify factors that contributed to Jarman’s acceptance of herself. People are often reluctant to share their stories if they feel that their life is not interesting (Touhy et al., 2019). However, initiating reminiscence by asking open-ended questions, creates a comfortable setting needed for storytelling, while reassuring the individual that their life is interesting (Hirst & Raffin, 2001). By reminiscing about experiences, individuals gain insight into what makes them valued beings (Hirst & Raffin, 2001). Brownlee (2019) initiated the topic of coping with Jarman by asking questions such as, “Would you ever be interested in dating again?” after Jarman brought up her separation from Barbara and “Do you have regrets that you didn’t know about your sexuality earlier?” to allow Jarman to describe her coping strategies before coming out. In that sense, reminiscing can also promote meaning-focused coping, as it draws on values, beliefs, and goals to modify the personal interpretation an individual has in response to a problem (Hirst et al., 2015). Reminiscence also highlights functional ability, which refers to an individual's ability to fulfill daily activities and roles in their community (Hirst et al., 2015). To highlight Jarman’s functional ability, Brownlee (2019) asked, “What kind of advice would you have for younger people, who are just realizing that they’re LGBT or trying to come out?”. Jarman was able to share how her experiences have made her stronger, encouraged people with identity struggles to confide in her as she is familiar with the feeling of lacking allies within a community, after being marginalized for being part of the LGBT community and being associated with individuals with AIDS (Brownlee, 2019).
Reminiscence is an Interactive Process
Therapeutic communication is a dynamic and interactive process in which words and actions are used by clinicians to collaboratively achieve healthcare outcomes (Buchanan & Godfrey, 2021). The use of reminiscence in therapeutic communication allows clinicians to effectively listen to clients to eliminate biases, influencing an unbiased course of nursing actions beyond the scope of recorded patient medical histories and learned literature (Hirst & Raffin, 2001). Jarman had already outlined her life in the interview with Brownlee (2019); her struggles before and after coming out as a lesbian; her past relationships; and the marginalization she experienced due to being LGBT and associated with individuals with AIDS. However, I would like to ask her more questions about how Barbara’s influence on her coming out and how differently she would have dealt with her identity struggles without Barbara. I would initiate the conversation by asking, “Can you tell me more about how you felt when Barbara passed?” and following up with “What makes Barbara irreplaceable?”. In my opinion, the question and follow-up prompt promotes personhood, as they suggest active listening, which may help Jarman accept the reality of Barbara’s passing through meaning-focused coping, which is a goal of using reminiscence in therapeutic interventions (Touhy et al., 2019). Furthermore, I would ask Jarman, “Can you tell me more about how you dealt with your sexuality before coming out?” following up with, “What kind of advice would you give your younger self if you had a chance?”. Brownlee (2019) asked a similar question of what advice Jarman would have for younger generations of LGBT, however, asking Jarman to specifically advise her younger self allows self-reflection and provides clues on what psychosocial supports could be offered to Jarman (Touhy et al., 2019).
Conclusion
Older adults are often viewed as vulnerable by ageist stereotypes (Hirst et al., 2015). Reminiscence encourages older adults to use a framework to organize their stressors (Buchanan, 2021), captures narratives that host deeper meanings (Hirst & Raffin, 2001), and promotes self-efficacy through recognizing resilience (Touhy et al., 2019). As healthcare providers, reminiscence in therapeutic interventions is a key aspect to consider in practice as it allows individuals to recall life experiences, cultivate a sense of security, belonging, and self-esteem through acceptance of their past, which is crucial when providing person-centered care for older adults (Touhy et al., 2019).
