Effectiveness of Reminiscence Therapy on Reduction of Stress among Elderly Residing in old age Home

Abstract

Reminiscence has been defined as the “vocal or silent recall of events in a person's life, either alone or group of people”. Reminiscence therapy is a process in which individual attempt to accept negative event in the past, resolve past conflicts, reconcile the discrepancy between ideals and reality, identify continuity between past and present, and find meaning and worth in life. It helps the elderly recollect past coping activity and strategies, including memories of plans as developed to solve difficult situation, goal directed activities and the achievement of one's own goal or goals one helped other meet. Pre-experimental approach was adopted to determine the effectiveness of reminiscence therapy among elderly residing in Red Cross society old age home sector-15 Panchkula. One group pre-test post-test research design was used where 30 old age people were included in pre-experimental one group respectively. Convenient sampling technique was used to select 30 elderly people residing in old age home. Protocol for Reminiscence therapy was developed and content validity was determined by experts internal consistency (r=0.7) and stability (r=0.98) of tool was tested by using split half reliability test-re test method respectively. Pilot study was conducted found to be feasible. Base line stress level was assessed and reminiscence therapy was introduced where seven sessions were delivered for subject in experimental group. It is evident from the result that pretest mean score was founded to be 20.06 as compared to the post test mean score 11.1. Hence the study concluded that the reduction of stress level among elderly people after the administration of reminiscence therapy. This indicate that the reminiscence therapy was effective therefore the null hypothesis is rejected.